Manassas

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A city in northern Virginia, United States, known for its historic Civil War battlefields nearby
2. An independent city in the northern part of Virginia near Washington, famous as the site of two Civil War battles
3. A small city in northern Virginia whose surrounding land saw two major battles of the American Civil War

Etymology: Manassas is a proper noun, and its origin is a name rather than a word with a dictionary history. The town took its name from the railroad junction there, which was called Manassas Gap after a local family, and the name itself is commonly traced to the Bible: Manasseh, a son of Joseph, from which the Virginia name seems to be derived. Accounts differ on how the name came to be applied, so the exact route is not fully documented. What is well attested is the town's wartime fame. Two major battles of the American Civil War were fought nearby, along Bull Run, and Confederates and Union armies both knew the place by that name. Northerners often called the battles "Bull Run," after the creek, while Southerners tended to name them after the nearest town. This is why the same engagements appear under two titles in history books, and why the place name became so closely tied to the war.