Meanings
- A river that flows along the borders of Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia, and also through Washington, D.C., United States.
The Potomac surges against the banks, flush with this morning’s rain.
2023, R. F. Kuang, Yellowface, The Borough Press, page 298 - An unincorporated community and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, named after the nearby river.
- A village in Vermilion County, Illinois, United States.
- astronomyThe asteroid (1345) Potomac.
Origin
European spelling of an Algonquian name, variously claimed to mean "river of swans", "place where people trade" or "place to which tribute is brought". The natives called the river above the falls Cohongorooton, "river of geese", and that area was renowned in early years for an abundance of both geese and swans. The spelling of the name has been simplified over the years from Patawomeke to Patowmack in the 18th century and now Potomac. The river's name was determined officially as Potomac by the US government's Board on Geographic Names during 1931.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Potomac. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Potomac
“Potomac.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Potomac. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Potomac,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Potomac.
Source: Potomac on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.