Motown

M3O1T1O1W4N1
US/ˈmoʊtaʊn/

proper noun

Detroit.

“They may be a rock band, but their retro style shows a heavy Motown influence.”

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Meanings

proper noun
  1. informalDetroit.
nounMotown (uncountable)
  1. attributiveoftenuncountableentertainmentA style of popular soul music strongly associated with Motown Records.

    They may be a rock band, but their retro style shows a heavy Motown influence.

  2. slanguncountablecard gamesA jack and a five as a starting hand in Texas hold 'em.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
detroitfordtownmotor city

Origin

Blend of motor + town; see Motor City. The poker slang comes from jacks and fives sounding similar to Jackson 5, associated with Motown popular music.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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