a state of the N central US, in the Midwest: consists of level prairie crossed by the Illinois and Kaskaskia Rivers; mainly agricultural. Capital: Springfield. Pop: 12 653 544 (2003 est). Area: 144 858 sq km (55 930 sq miles)
Abbreviation: Ill. or (with zip code) IL
2.
a river in Illinois, flowing SW to the Mississippi. Length: 439 km (273 miles)
Illinois in American English1
(ˌiləˈnɔi, -ˈnɔiz)
noun
1.
a state in the central United States: a part of the Midwest. 11,418,461; 56,400 sq. mi. (146,075 sq. km). Cap.: Springfield
Abbreviation: IL(for use with zip code), Ill.
2.
a river flowing SW from NE Illinois to the Mississippi River: connected by a canal with Lake Michigan. 273 mi. (440 km) long
The pronunciation of illinois with a final (z) is least common in Illinois itself, increasing in frequency as distancefrom the state increases
Illinois in American English2
(ˌiləˈnɔi, or, sometimes -ˈnɔiz)
nounWord forms: plural-nois (-ˈnɔi, -ˈnɔiz)
1.
a member of a confederacy of Native Americans of Algonquian stock, formerly occupying Illinois and adjoining regions westward
2.
the Algonquian language of the Illinois and Miami people
Word origin
[1715–25, Amer.; ‹ F, earlier Eriniouai, Ilinoués, etc. ‹ an unidentified Algonquian language, appar. lit., one who sounds normal (i.e.,speaks an Algonquian language), if equiv. to Proto-Algonquian *elen- ordinary + *-we⋅ make sound]