urban
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈɜːb(ə)n/
ipa: /ˈɜɹbən/
rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)bən
Forms: form: more urban
form: most urban
form: urbane
Etymology: Borrowed from Middle French urbain (“belonging to a city, urban; courteous, refined, urbane”) (modern French urbain), or from its etymon Latin urbānus (“of or belonging to a city, urban; of manners or style: like those of city dwellers: cultivated, polished, refined, sophisticated”) + English -an (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives). Urbānus is derived from urbs (“city; walled town; Rome”) (further etymology uncertain, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *gʰerdʰ- (“to encircle, enclose; a belt; an enclosure, fence”) or *werbʰ- (“to enclose”)) + -ānus (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives).
For the euphemistic or proscribed term, it was coined by New York radio DJ Frankie Crocker in the early to mid-1970s as a synonym for Black music.
Senses: examples: text: urban life
text: urban traffic
text: As towns continue to grow, replanting vegetation has become a form of urban utopia and green roofs are spreading fast. Last year 1m square metres of plant-covered roofing was built in France, as much as in the US, and 10 times more than in Germany, the pioneer in this field. In Paris 22 hectares of roof have been planted, out of a potential total of 80 hectares.
ref: 2013 May 10, Audrey Garric, “Urban canopies let nature bloom”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 22, page 30:
glosses: Of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or happening or located in, a city or town; of, pertaining to, or characteristic of life in such a place, especially when contrasted with the countryside.
examples: text: Inſomuch, as thoſe citizens vvere reputed for cheeſe and principall, vvho vvere poſſeſſed of land and living in the countrey: and theſe made the State, called the Ruſtick Tribes, in Rome: vvheras contrarivviſe the other eſtate, reputed the meaner in degree, vvas named the Vrbane Tribes; conſiſting of Artiſanes & ſuch like as vvere not landed perſons: into vvhich, if a man vvere transferred from any of the reſt, it vvas thought a great ſhame and diſgrace, as if hee vvere reproched for idleneſſe and negligence in husbandrie.
ref: 1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book XVIII.] Of Iugerum, and Actus. Of the Ancient Lawes Ordained for Cattell in Old Time. How Often and at what Times Corn and Victuals were Exceeding Cheape at Rome. What Noble and Famous Persons Addicted Themselves Wholly to Husbandrie and Tillage..”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], 1st tome, London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC, pages 550–551:
text: The Epithets of myce are thes; ſhort, ſmall, fearful, peaceable, ridiculous, ruſtik, or country mouſe, vrbane, or citty mouſe, […]
ref: 1607, Conradus Gesnerus [i.e., Conrad Gessner]; Edward Topsell, “Of the Vulgar Little Mouse”, in The Historie of Foure-footed Beastes. […], London: […] William Iaggard, →OCLC, page 504:
glosses: Living in a city or town.
examples: text: All theſe Magiſtrats are but temporary, and have a time limited them; the Urbane or Citty Magiſtrats ſome of them continue in office 6. months, others 8. months, others are annuall; […]
ref: 1651, James Howell, “Of Officers or Magistrats in Generall”, in S.P.Q.V.: A Survay of the Signorie of Venice, […], London: […] Richard Lowndes […], →OCLC, page 16:
glosses: Having authority or jurisdiction over a city or town.
glosses: Relating to contemporary African American culture, especially in music.
glosses: Of an inhabitant or resident: black; African-American.
Coordinate terms: exurban
suburban
Derived terms: antiurban
cyburban
Ellesmere Urban
exurb
interurban
intraurban
peri-urban
preurban
rurban
semiurban
single-point urban interchange
synurban
unurban
urban blight
urban boarding
urban contemporary
urban crawl
urban culture
urban district
urban dweller
urban exploration
urban explorer
urban fabric
urban fantasy
urban fee
urban furniture
urbanicity
urbanish
urbanism
urbanist
urbanistic
urbanite
urbanitis
urbanity
urbanization
urbanisation
urbanize
urbanise
urban legend
urban lumberjack
urban mine
urban mining
urban myth
urban Naxal
urbanness
urbanoid
urbanology
urbanonym
urbanophilic
urban planner
urban planning
urban prairie
urban regeneration
urban-renew
urban renew
urban renewal
urban-renewed
urban renewed
urban reserve
urban-rural commune
urban-rural gmina
urban sanitary district
urbanscape
urban scattering
urban sprawl
urban studies
urban survival syndrome
urban-type settlement
urban warfare
urban warrior
Whitchurch Urban
Related terms: Urbanus