1. Abbr. WA, Wash. A state of the northwest United States on the Pacific Ocean. It was admitted as the 42nd state in 1889. Originally explored by Capt. James Cook (1778), Washington was the object of a dispute between England and the United States until 1846, when its northern border was set at the 49th parallel. Washington is noted for its lumber and defense industries. Olympia is the capital and Seattle the largest city. Population, 4,887,941.

2. The capital of the United States, on the Potomac River between Virginia and Maryland and coextensive with the District of Columbia. It was designed by Pierre L'Enfant and became the capital in 1800. In the War of 1812 the British captured and sacked (1814) Washington, burning most of the public buildings, including the Capitol and the White House. Population, 609,909.

3. A city of southwest Pennsylvania southwest of Pittsburgh. Settled in 1769, it is a manufacturing center and the seat of Washington and Jefferson College (first chartered 1787). Population, 15,864.