Minnesota

[min-uh-soh-tuh]

noun
1.
a state in the N central United States. 84,068 sq. mi. (217,735 sq. km).
Capital: St. Paul.
Abbreviation: MN (for use with zip code), Minn.
2.
a river flowing SE from the W border of Minnesota into the Mississippi near St. Paul. 332 miles (535 km) long.
/ˌmɪnɪˈsəʊtə/
noun
1.
a state of the N central US: chief US producer of iron ore. Capital: St Paul. Pop: 5 059 375 (2003 est). Area: 218 600 sq km (84 402 sq miles) Abbreviation Minn, (with zip code) MN
2.
a river in S Minnesota, flowing southeast and northeast to the Mississippi River near St Paul. Length: 534 km (332 miles)

originally the name of the river, from Dakota (Siouan) mnisota, literally “cloudy water, milky water,” from mni “river, stream” + sota “slightly clouded.” As the name of a U.S. territory from 1849 (admitted as a state 1858). Related: Minnesotan.

State in the north-central United States bordered by Manitoba and Ontario, Canada, to the north; Lake Superior and Wisconsin to the east; Iowa to the south; and South Dakota and North Dakota to the west. Its capital is St. Paul, and its largest city is Minneapolis.