Macao

geographical name

Ma·​cao mə-ˈkau̇ How to pronounce Macao (audio)
variants or Macau or Chinese Aomen
1
peninsula in the province of Guangdong, southeastern China, in the Xi River delta west of Hong Kong
2
special administrative region of southeastern China comprising Macao Peninsula and two small adjacent islands; formerly a Portuguese overseas territory with the city of Macao as its capital area 9.1 square miles (23.6 square kilometers), population 552,503

Note: The economy of Macao is based to a large extent on casinos and tourism.

3
city in the special administrative region of Macao population 469,000
Macanese noun

Dictionary Entries Near Macao

Cite this Entry

“Macao.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Macao. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on Macao

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!