Rome

Meaning

Proper Noun

• A city on the riv:Suf, Tiber on the pen:suf, Italian ; ancient capital empire, Roman Empire ; capital city Italy (country) ; capital city r:pref, Lazio.
• The Italian government.
• Ancient Rome; the former Roman Empire; Roman civilization.
• The Holy See, the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church, particularly prior to the establishment of the Vatican City in the 19th century.
• The Church of Rome, the Roman Catholic Church generally.
• metropolitan city Lazio (region) Italy (country).

Related

Similar words

• (archaic) Romeburg, Romeburgh, Romeland, Romelede, Romethede, Rome town
• (dated) Rome city
• Istanbul, Constantinople (new Rome)
• Moscow (third Rome, new Rome)

Origin

• From Middle English Rome, from Old English Rōm, Rūm, from Proto-Germanic *Rūmō and influenced by Late Latin Rōma ("Rome, Constantinople"), from Classical Latin Rōma ("Rome"). In Roman mythology, the name was said to derive from Romulus, one of the founders of the city and its first king.
• The name appears in a wide range of forms in Middle English, including Rom, Room, Roome, and Rombe as well as Rome; by early modern English, it appeared as Rome, Room, and Roome, with the spelling Rome occurring in Shakespeare and common from the early 18th century on. The final spelling was influenced by Norman, Middle French, Anglo-Norman, and Old French Rome.