Big Sur

/ˌbɪɡ ˈsɜː(ɹ)/

proper noun

A rugged and mountainous section of the Central Coast of California.

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Meanings

proper noun
  1. A rugged and mountainous section of the Central Coast of California.

    Big Sur simply did not lend itself to the massive settlement that characterized the rest of California. Following the gold discoveries of 1849, California's population exploded under the onslaught of miners, merchants, and camp-followers.

    1979, Donald G. Pike, Big Sur, KC Publications, →ISBN, page 12

Origin

Shortening and partial calque of Spanish el país grande del sur (“the big country of the south”).

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with Big Sur

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All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

Big Sur. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Big%20Sur

MLA

“Big Sur.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Big%20Sur. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Big Sur,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Big%20Sur.

Source: Big Sur on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.