A city of northwest Belgium connected by canal with the North Sea. It was founded in the 9th century and was a leading member of the Hanseatic League in the 13th century. Today the old city is a popular tourist center known as "the City of Bridges." Population: 117,000.
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.
