Manhattan

Manhattan

1. an island at the N end of New York Bay, between the Hudson, East, and Harlem Rivers: administratively (with adjacent islets) a borough of New York City; a major financial, commercial, and cultural centre. Pop.: 1 537 195 (2000). Area: 47 sq. km (22 sq. miles)

2. a mixed drink consisting of four parts whisky, one part vermouth, and a dash of bitters

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

Manhattan

Manhattan Indians sold the island to Dutch West India Company supposedly for about $24 worth of merchandise (1626). [Am. Hist.: Jameson, 305]

See: Inexpensiveness

Allusions—Cultural, Literary, Biblical, and Historical: A Thematic Dictionary. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Manhattan

 

the central part of New York City, located on Manhattan Island. It forms one of the city’s five administrative boroughs and is bounded in the west by the Hudson River, in the east and south by the East River channel, and in the northeast by the Harlem River. Area, 35 sq km. Population, 1,539,000(1970; 2,332,000 in 1910). Manhattan is a business and commercial center (the southern and to some extent the central sections of the island) and the headquarters of the leading banks, major monopolies, and stock exchange. Piers of the port of New York dot the island’s shores. Manhattan’s streets are mainly laid out in a grid pattern. The main thoroughfare, Broadway, goes from one end of the island to the other. Wall Street, which runs for a few blocks in southern Manhattan, has become a synonym for US financial capital. About 500,000 people are employed in Manhattan’s industry. Light industry (mostly clothing) and printing predominate. In northeastern Manhattan is the Negro ghetto of Harlem.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.