Boise

IPA/ˈbɔɪ.si/
KK[bˈɔɪzi]IPA/ˈbɔɪ.si/

Boise — noun

1. a city in the southwestern part of Idaho, USA; it is the state capital and the m

1.noun
Definition

a city in the southwestern part of Idaho, USA; it is the state capital and the most populous urban centre in Idaho

Example

Boise has grown faster than any other city in the American Northwest in recent years.

Gabriel caught a direct flight from Portland to Boise last Tuesday morning.

used with 'from [place] to Boise' for travel routes

Common collocations
  • downtown Boise
  • Boise, Idaho
  • greater Boise area
  • Boise State University

Usage Note

Often appears in the form 'Boise, Idaho' in addresses and formal writing. Not to be confused with the Boise River (sense 2).

Common Mistakes

I am going to Boise city this summer.
I am going to Boise this summer.
the word 'city' is not part of the name.

2. a waterway in southwestern Idaho, roughly 60 miles (96 km) long, that runs westw

2.noun
Definition

a waterway in southwestern Idaho, roughly 60 miles (96 km) long, that runs westward before joining the Snake River

Example

The Boise River supplies much of the water that farms in the valley depend on.

Hamza took his children walking along the Boise River one crisp autumn morning.

often used with 'along the Boise River' for riverside recreation

Common collocations
  • the Boise River Greenbelt
  • Boise River Valley
  • Boise River Basin

Usage Note

Always takes the definite article: 'the Boise River.' The city of Boise (sense 1) is named after this river.

Common Mistakes

We swam in Boise River last weekend.
We swam in the Boise River last weekend.
the river name always includes 'the'.

Common collocations

Phrases

  • Boise, Idaho

Etymology

FrenchEnglish

Boise takes its name from the French word 'boisé,' meaning 'wooded.' In the early 19th century, French-Canadian fur trappers travelling through the region named the waterway 'la rivière boisée' ('the wooded river') because of the thick stands of trees along its banks. The city that later grew beside the river adopted the same name.