Louisville

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A major river port and cultural center in north-central Kentucky, known for bourbon distilling and the Kentucky Derby horse race
2. The largest city in the state of Kentucky, located on the Ohio River and famous for its bourbon and annual Derby race
3. An American city in the Bluegrass State situated on the Ohio River, home to the Kentucky Derby and a large bourbon industry

Etymology: Louisville is a city in Kentucky, and its name honors a king who never saw it. The city was founded in 1778 on the Ohio River, and it was named in 1780 after Louis XVI of France, whose government had sided with the American colonists in their war against Britain. The name combines "Louis," the king's first name, with "-ville," the French word for "town," a common element in place names of French origin across North America. The choice was a gesture of gratitude toward France rather than a tribute to any local connection. Louis XVI, who ruled from 1774 until his execution in 1793, had sent money, supplies and military aid to the revolutionaries, and naming a frontier settlement for him was a way of acknowledging that support in the middle of the war.