Meanings
old country1
plural old countries
- The country of origin of an immigrant or of a person of immigrant descent.
"Look at all the children!" Saxon cried. "School's letting out. And nearly all are Portuguese, Billy, NOT Porchugeeze. Mercedes taught me the right way." "They never wore glad rags like them in the old country," Billy sneered. "They had to come over here to get decent clothes and decent grub."
1913, Jack London, Valley Of The Moon, book 3, ch. 1
Old Country2
- alternativeAlternative form of old country.
She was travelling first-class with some Lord or Duke from the ‘Old Country.’
1933, Frank Clune, Try Anything Once, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 251 more example
Similar to these were songs with nostalgic texts about longing for the Old Country.
2001, The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: North America. Garland Publishing. Ellen Koskoff (Ed.). Pg. 815
Synonyms & antonyms
Translations
Dutch moederland
- moederlandcountry of origin of an immigrant
French pays, bled
- payscountry of origin of an immigrant
- bledcountry of origin of an immigrant
Polish kraj rodzinny
- kraj rodzinnycountry of origin of an immigrant
Cite this entry
old country. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/old%20country
“old country.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/old%20country. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “old country,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/old%20country.
Source: old country on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.