Indianapolis

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A major city in the United States, serving as the capital of Indiana
2. Known for its significance in the automobile racing industry, especially the Indianapolis 500
3. Home to a diverse cultural scene, including museums and sports teams

Etymology: The city's name is a compound built from two parts that were assembled in the early 1800s. "Indiana" came from the Indiana Territory, named in 1800 from "Indian" with the Latinate suffix "-ia" (it denotes "land of the Indians"). The second element, "-polis," comes from Ancient Greek "pólis," meaning "city," a classical building block that American town-namers used freely when they wanted a grand, Old World ring. The naming was the work of Jeremiah Sullivan, an American jurist from Indiana, who joined the state's name to "-polis." The result is a name that sounds like a classical city but was invented on the American frontier. Its later fame came from motor racing, since the Indianapolis 500 has made the name familiar worldwide, far beyond the state capital it originally labelled.