(Abbr. WA or Wash.) A state of the northwest United States on the Pacific Ocean. It was admitted as the 42nd state in 1889. Originally explored by Capt. James Cook (1778), Washington was the object of a dispute between England and the United States until 1846, when its northern border was set at the 49th parallel. Washington is noted for its lumber and defense industries. Olympia is the capital and Seattle the largest city. Population: 6,470,000.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.