Calcutta

a seaport in and the capital of West Bengal state, in E India, on the Hooghly River: former capital of British India.
(sometimes lowercase). Also called Calcutta pool. a form of betting pool for a competition or tournament, as golf or auto racing, in which gamblers bid for participating contestants in an auction, the proceeds from which are put into a pool for distribution, according to a prearranged scale of percentages, to those who selected winners.
a state in E India: formerly part of the province of Bengal. 33,805 sq. mi. (87,555 sq. km).
Capital: Calcutta.
Compare Bengal (def 1).
Contemporary Examples

India’s Free-Speech Crisis Basharat Peer November 4, 2010
Dozens Killed in Calcutta Fire: Breaking Updates, Tweets, Photos, and More December 8, 2011
Scotland’s ‘Yes’ Campaign and the Myth of Scottish Equality Noah Caldwell September 17, 2014
This Week’s Hot Reads: Sept. 17, 2013 Sarah Stodola September 15, 2013
College Can Wait…And Wait Kathleen Kingsbury April 29, 2009

Historical Examples

Far Off Favell Lee Mortimer
Brave and Bold Horatio Alger
On the Irrawaddy G. A. Henty
Brave and Bold Horatio Alger
John Wesley, Jr. Dan B. Brummitt

noun
the former official name (still widely used) of Kolkata
noun
a state of E India, on the Bay of Bengal: formed in 1947 from the Hindu area of Bengal; additional territories added in 1950 (Cooch Behar), 1954 (Chandernagor), and 1956 (part of Bihar); mostly low-lying and crossed by the Hooghly River. Capital: Kolkata (Calcutta). Pop: 80 221 171 (2001). Area: 88 752 sq km (34 260 sq miles)

Note: Calcutta is one of the largest cities in the world and suffers from poverty, overcrowding, and unemployment.