Moscow

M3O1S1C3O1W4
UK/ˈmɒskəʊ/US/ˈmɑskæʊ/US/ˈmɑskoʊ/US/ˈmaskæʊ/

proper noun

A federal city, a federal subject, the capital and largest city of Russia.

Similar
CommonScrabble 13

Meanings

Moscow1

proper noun
  1. A federal city, a federal subject, the capital and largest city of Russia.

    Everyone in Moscow uses the English term “face control,” though the phrase is often transliterated in print as “feis kontrol.”

    2009 September 25, Joshua Yaffa, “Barbarians at the Gate”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 03 Feb 2012
    3 more examples

    The mother, Ekaterina Pavlovna, who at one time had been handsome, but now, asthmatic, depressed, vague, and over-feeble for her years, tried to entertain me with conversation about painting. Having heard from her daughter that I might come to Shelkovka, she had hurriedly recalled two or three of my landscapes which she had seen in exhibitions in Moscow, and now asked what I meant to express by them.

    1917, Anton Chekhov, translated by Constance Garnett, The Darling and Other Stories, Project Gutenberg, published 9 September 2004, →ISBN, page 71

    I was inclined to accept Yeltsin's invitation to go to Russia, but Tony Lake said Moscow shouldn't be my first foreign stop, and the rest of my team said it would divert attention from our domestic agenda.

    2005, Bill Clinton, My Life, volume II, New York: Vintage Books, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 49

    An IAF representative told an Indian parliamentary committee that due to the Ukraine war a “major delivery” from Moscow “is not going to take place.”

    2023 March 24, Rhea Mogul, “Russia can’t meet India arms deliveries due to Ukraine war, Indian Air Force says”, in CNN, archived from the original on 15 Jun 2024
  2. An oblast and federal subject of Russia surrounding the city, which itself is not part of the oblast; in full, Moscow Oblast.
  3. metonymicallygovernmentThe government of Russia or the Soviet Union.

    Moscow said "Nyet!"

    1987, Shelomoh Naḳdimon, First strike: the exclusive story of how Israel foiled Iraq's attempt to get the bomb, page 40
    5 more examples

    Moscow doubtless wants to make trouble for the Western Powers so far as she can without losing their recognition or encouraging actual hostility. She wants peace and trade and an opportunity for internal economic reconstruction above everything just now. It seems doubtful whether she expects to Bolshevize China, though she wants China fully independent of Western imperialism and friendly to her.

    1927 May, Quincy Wright, “Bolshevist Influences in China”, in Current History, volume XXVI, number 2, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 302, column 2

    I could not agree with the tactics or approach of those who, like Chiang Kai-shek in a speech on July 3, 1950, wanted the U.N. to charge the Russians with the full responsibility for this Korean conflict and to demand that Moscow put an end to it. This kind of bluster is certain to lead into an impossible dilemma. If these suggestions had been followed and the Soviets had ignored the order, as in all likelihood they would have done, either the United Nations would have stood convicted of weakness or World War III would have been on.

    1956, Harry S. Truman, Memoirs of Harry S. Truman: Years of Trial And Hope, volume II, Doubleday & Company, →OCLC, pages 345–346

    The translation of Khrushchev's letter reached me later that day, and I read it with care and with growing disappointment. It seemed designed for propaganda purposes rather than serious diplomacy. Khrushchev roundly denounced "colonizers" and "imperialism" as the major causes of past wars. Of course, he did not mention the Soviet Union's attack on Finland, the obliteration of the Baltic states, or the "colonization" of Eastern Europe by Moscow after World War II.

    1971, Lyndon Johnson, “Thawing the Cold War”, in The Vantage Point, Holt, Reinhart & Winston, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, pages 464–465

    Yet, a few US newscasters will go on the air at 6 pm or later and say, "Moscow said tonight.["] ... A careful writer would make his script read, "Moscow said today. ..."

    1997, Mervin Block, Writing Broadcast News: Shorter, Sharper, Stronger, →ISBN, page 154

    In addition, Moscow argued that Georgia had violated international law by introducing its forces into South Ossetia, a move Moscow said Tbilisi had committed itself not to do under the earlier CIS-sponsored peacekeeping arrangements.

    2009, Svante E. Cornell, S. Frederick Star, The Guns of August 2008: Russia's War in Georgia, →ISBN, page 184

    Synonyms: Kremlin

  4. A large number of places in the United States:
    1. A city, the county seat of Latah County, Idaho; probably named after the Russian city.
    2. A small town in Iowa County, Wisconsin; named after the Mascouten tribe.
    3. A small city in Fayette County, Tennessee; named after Mosgo, a Cherokee chief.
    4. A tiny city in Stevens County, Kansas; said to be named after Luis de Moscoso Alvarado, a Spanish explorer.
    5. A village in Clermont County, Ohio; said to be named by French veterans of Napoleon's siege of Moscow.
  5. A hamlet in East Ayrshire council area, Scotland; probably named or re-named in 1812 for Napoleon's retreat from Moscow (OS grid ref NS4840).
  6. A village in Kottayam district, Kerala, India; named due to Soviet influence in Kerala during the Cold War.
  7. Multicultural London EnglishslangA nickname for the Brandon Estate, a social housing estate in Southwark, Central London; named because of gun violence and the use of Russian-made contraband firearms.

MoSCoW2

proper noun
  1. abbreviationacronymbusinessAcronym of must have, should have, could have, won't have (“a group of categories for prioritization of requirements”).

Synonyms & antonyms

proper nounThe government of Russia or the Soviet Union.

Similar

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*mesg-“to plunge, dip”
  2. Proto-Slavic*mosky
  3. Old East SlavicМосков-
  4. EnglishMoscow

Ultimately from Old East Slavic Москов- (Moskov-), originally referring to the Moskva River, probably from Proto-Slavic *mosky (“swamp, dampness, moisture”). Perhaps related to Czech moskva (“raw bread”), Slovak mozga (“puddle”), Polish Mozgawa, and more distantly Latvian mazgāt (“to wash, rinse”), Sanskrit मज्जति (májjati, “to sink”), Latin mergō (“to dive”), all from Proto-Indo-European *mesg- (“to plunge, dip”). Cognate with Russian промозглый (promozglyj, “dank”). Doublet of Moskva.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans Moskou
  • Moskoucapital city of Russia
Arabic مُوسْكُو, مُوسْكُو
  • مُوسْكُو (mūskū)capital city of Russia
  • مُوسْكُو (moskū)capital city of Russia
  • مُوسْكُو (moskō)capital city of Russia
Basque Mosku
  • Moskucapital city of Russia
Bengali মস্কো
  • মস্কো (moskō)capital city of Russia
Bulgarian Москва́
  • Москва́ (Moskvá)capital city of Russia
Catalan Moscou
  • Moscoucapital city of Russia
Chinese Cantonese 莫斯科
  • 莫斯科 (mok⁶ si¹ fo¹)capital city of Russia
Chinese Mandarin 莫斯科州, 莫斯科
  • 莫斯科州 (Mòsike Zhōu)Moscow Oblast, surrounding the city of Moscow
  • 莫斯科 (Mòsīkē)capital city of Russia
  • 莫斯科窪 /莫斯科洼 (Mòsīkēwā)capital city of Russia
  • 莫斯科 (Mòsīkē)a name of a town in the USA
Czech Moskva
  • Moskvacapital city of Russia
Danish Moskva
  • Moskvacapital city of Russia
Dutch Moskou
  • Moskoucapital city of Russia
Esperanto Moskvo
  • Moskvocapital city of Russia
Estonian Moskva
  • Moskvacapital city of Russia
Finnish Moskova
  • Moskovacapital city of Russia
French Moscou
  • Moscoucapital city of Russia
German Moskau
  • Moskaucapital city of Russia
Greek Μόσχα, Μόσκοου
  • Μόσχα (Móscha)capital city of Russia
  • Μόσκοου (Móskoou)a name of a town in the USA
Hawaiian Mokekao
  • Mokekaocapital city of Russia
Hebrew מוֹסְקְבָה
  • מוֹסְקְבָה (moskvá)capital city of Russia
Hindi मास्को, मॉस्को
  • मास्को (māsko)capital city of Russia
  • मॉस्को (mŏsko)capital city of Russia
Hungarian Moszkva
  • Moszkvacapital city of Russia
Icelandic Moskva
  • Moskvacapital city of Russia
Indonesian Moskwa, Moskow
  • Moskwacapital city of Russia
  • Moskowcapital city of Russia
Irish Moscó
  • Moscócapital city of Russia
Italian Mosca, Moscow
  • Moscacapital city of Russia
  • Moscowa name of a town in the USA
Japanese モスクワ, モスコー
  • モスクワ (Mosukuwa)capital city of Russia
  • モスコー (Mosukō)a name of a town in the USA
Korean 모스크바
  • 모스크바 (Moseukeuba)capital city of Russia
Latin Moscovia, Moscua
  • Moscoviacapital city of Russia
  • Moscuacapital city of Russia
  • Moschacapital city of Russia
Latvian Maskava
  • Maskavacapital city of Russia
Lithuanian Maskva
  • Maskvacapital city of Russia
Malay Mosko
  • Moskocapital city of Russia
Māori Mohikau
  • Mohikaucapital city of Russia
Norwegian Bokmål Moskva, Moscow
  • MoskvaMoscow Oblast, surrounding the city of Moscow
  • Moscowhamlet in Scotland
  • Moskvacapital city of Russia
  • Moscowa name of a town in the USA
Persian مُسْکو
  • مُسْکو (mosko)capital city of Russia
Polish Moskwa
  • Moskwacapital city of Russia
Portuguese Moscou, Moscovo
  • Moscoucapital city of Russia
  • Moscovocapital city of Russia
Punjabi ਮੌਸਕੋ, ਮਾਸਕੋ
  • ਮੌਸਕੋ (mausko)capital city of Russia
  • ਮਾਸਕੋ (māsko)capital city of Russia
Romanian Moscova, Москова
  • Moscovacapital city of Russia
  • Москова (Moscova)capital city of Russia
  • Moscowa name of a town in the USA
Russian Моско́вская о́бласть, Москва́
  • Моско́вская о́бласть (Moskóvskaja óblastʹ)Moscow Oblast, surrounding the city of Moscow
  • Москва́ (Moskvá)capital city of Russia
  • Мо́скоу (Móskou)a name of a town in the USA
Scottish Gaelic Mosgo
  • Mosgocapital city of Russia
Slovak Moskva
  • Moskvacapital city of Russia
Spanish Moscú
  • Moscúcapital city of Russia
Swahili Misko, Moscow
  • Miskocapital city of Russia
  • Moscowcapital city of Russia
Swedish Moskva
  • Moskvacapital city of Russia
Tagalog Mosku
  • Moskucapital city of Russia
Tamil மாஸ்கோ
  • மாஸ்கோ (māskō)capital city of Russia
Thai มอสโก
  • มอสโก (mɔ́ɔs-goo)capital city of Russia
Turkish Moskova
  • Moskovacapital city of Russia
Ukrainian Моско́вська о́бласть, Москва́
  • Моско́вська о́бласть (Moskóvsʹka óblastʹ)Moscow Oblast, surrounding the city of Moscow
  • Москва́ (Moskvá)capital city of Russia
Urdu ماسْکو
  • ماسْکو (māsko)capital city of Russia
Vietnamese Mát-xcơ-va, Mạc Tư Khoa
  • Mát-xcơ-vacapital city of Russia
  • Mạc Tư Khoacapital city of Russia
Welsh Moscfa
  • Moscfacapital city of Russia
Yiddish מאָסקווע
  • מאָסקווע (moskve)capital city of Russia
Zulu IMoskwa
  • IMoskwacapital city of Russia

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with Moscow

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

Moscow. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Moscow

MLA

“Moscow.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Moscow. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Moscow,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Moscow.

Source: Moscow on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.