old country

noun, often capitalized O&C

|Updated on: 3 Jun 2018

Definition of old country

: an emigrant's country of origin; especially : one in Europe —usually used with the

See old country defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of old country from the Web

PGA Tour star Jordan Spieth had heard an old country club rumor about a shadow helping a ball drop into a hole.

— drew davison, star-telegram, "How 48-year-old Tim "Lumpy" Herron made lone eagle on this hole at Colonial | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 26 May 2018
Until the recent opening of Park Forest Foods in the old Country Squire location, Park Forest had gone a few years without a grocery store.

— donna vickroy, Daily Southtown, "Farmers markets, produce trucks bring oases to Southland's food deserts," 4 May 2018
In other words, someone who honored the classic food from the old country but was comfortable with secular, contemporary interpretations, like bacon in an egg cream.

— michael klein, Philly.com, "What's in a restaurant name? History and sometimes bird poo," 16 Apr. 2018
But Kathleen O'Brien, born in the old country, had her sights on something else last week.

— staff report, chicagotribune.com, "Shout Out: Kathleen O'Brien, corned beef and cabbage not her specialty," 21 Mar. 2018
So the idea appears to be that the new immigrant comes over without his children, who remain in the old country until each has three children of his or her own.

— philip bump, Washington Post, "'Chain migration' is not bringing floods of terrorists to America," 6 Feb. 2018
Recommendation: Belvedere, New Britain, for a Belvedere old country platter ($18.75) with pork shoulder steak, hunter's stew, kielbasa, blood sausage, mashed potato and dill pickle plus a sweet Belvedere platter ($9.75).

— frank cohen, courant.com, "28 Dates: Bohemian Suggestions For Penny-Pinchers," 2 Feb. 2018
The Groundhog Day holiday can be traced back to a German superstition brought to Pennsylvania by settlers, who decided to use (and sometimes eat) the local groundhog, rather than the hedgehog that might have been relied upon in the old country.

— chris wilson, Time, "Punxsutawney Phil Isn't the Only Groundhog. These Others Have More Accurate Groundhog Day Predictions," 1 Feb. 2018
My father’s Maltese, my mother’s German, and I was raised on old country values.

— kirsten korosec, Fortune, "Read the Judge's Emotional Remarks in Sentencing of U.S. Gymnastics Doctor Larry Nassar," 25 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'old country.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of old country

1751

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up old country? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

old country

Definition of old country

Recent Examples of old country from the Web

First Known Use of old country

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

voracity

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

'Creep': A Skin-Crawling History

Centuries and How to Refer to Them

If the Shoe Fits

On the Disruption of 'Disrupt'

Ask the Editors

Ghost Word

2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

Literally

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

Word Games

Words for Summer: A Quiz

Name More Food!

True or False?

SCRABBLE® Sprint

'Creep': A Skin-Crawling History

Words for Summer: A Quiz

If the Shoe Fits

Trending: 'Asylum' Trends as Policies Draw Attention

Ghost Word

old country

Definition of old country

Recent Examples of old country from the Web

First Known Use of old country

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

'Creep': A Skin-Crawling History

Words for Summer: A Quiz

If the Shoe Fits

Trending: 'Asylum' Trends as Policies Draw Attention

Ghost Word