Adriatic

adjective

Adri·​at·​ic ¦ā-drē-¦a-tik 

¦a-

: of or relating to the sea that lies east of Italy

Word History

Etymology

Middle English Adriatike, borrowed from Latin Adriāticus, Hadriāticus, from Adria, Atria, ancient seaport in northeast Italy + -āticus, suffix forming place-name derivatives (probably after Asiāticus asiatic )

First Known Use

1632, in the meaning defined above

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