Definition of New Orleans from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary


New Orleans

; NAmE
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the largest city in the US state of Louisiana. It is on the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico, and is one of the largest ports in the US. Its popular name is the Big Easy. The city is famous for its French Quarter, jazz and food, and millions of tourists visit it each year. The French established it in 1718, and it was part of the Louisiana Purchase. Andrew Jackson won the Battle of New Orleans against the British, the last battle of the War of 1812. In the twentieth century low-lying parts of the city were drained and much of it is now below sea level. In 2005 when Hurricane Katrina hit the city, its flood protection system failed and large areas were flooded. see also Mardi Gras
See the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary entry: New Orleans