aberdeen

aberdeen — noun

1. the third-largest city in Scotland, located in the northeast on the North Sea co

1.noun
Definition

the third-largest city in Scotland, located in the northeast on the North Sea coast, well known as a fishing harbour and as the historical hub of Britain's offshore oil and gas industry; many of its older buildings are built from grey granite, which has earned it the nickname "the Granite City."

Example

Renata took the overnight train from London to Aberdeen to visit her grandmother.

place name as travel destination

Many of the houses in Aberdeen are built from local grey granite.

collocation: built from granite

Common collocations
  • live in Aberdeen
  • fly to Aberdeen
  • the port of Aberdeen
  • Aberdeen harbour
  • off the coast of Aberdeen
Synonyms

Usage Note

Used as a proper noun and therefore always capitalised; takes no article ("in Aberdeen," not "in the Aberdeen"). When the city name modifies another noun ("Aberdeen harbour," "Aberdeen Football Club"), it stays capitalised and singular.

Common Mistakes

I lived in the Aberdeen for two years.
I lived in Aberdeen for two years.
city names in English do not take the definite article.
aberdeen is famous for its granite buildings.
Aberdeen should always be capitalised.
proper nouns must be capitalised.

Word family

  • Aberdonian
    noun
  • Aberdonian
    adjective

Common collocations

Nouns

  • Aberdeen harbour
  • Aberdeen airport
  • the port of Aberdeen
  • the University of Aberdeen
  • Aberdeen Football Club

Phrases

  • the Granite City
  • north-east of Aberdeen

Prepositions

  • in Aberdeen
  • to Aberdeen
  • from Aberdeen
  • near Aberdeen
  • off the coast of Aberdeen

Etymology

PictishBrittonicScotsEnglish

The name combines two old river names: Aber, a Pictish or Brittonic word meaning "river mouth" (the same root behind Aberystwyth and Abergavenny), with Don, the river that meets the sea at the city. An older form, Aberdon, is recorded in medieval documents; the modern spelling Aberdeen reflects centuries of pronunciation change as the settlement grew up between the rivers Don and Dee.