Morocco

Meanings

1. A country in North Africa. Official name: Kingdom of Morocco. Capital: Rabat.

1. A surname from Italian.

1. A soft leather, made from goatskin, used especially in bookbinding.
2. A sheepskin leather in imitation of this.
3. A very strong ale, anciently brewed in Cumberland.

Etymology

Earlier spelling Marocco, from Portuguese Marrocos and/or Spanish Marruecos, from Arabic مُرَّاكُش (murrākuš), further etymology uncertain. The word originally referred to the capital city of Marrakech (founded late 11th c.), but came to be used as a pars pro toto for the westernmost region of the Islamic world. Compare older Arabic مُرَّاكُش (murrākuš) (now اَلْمَغْرِب (al-maḡrib)), Persian مراکش (marâkeš), Medieval Latin Marrochium. Turkish refers to the country as Fas from Fez, another former capital. Doublet of Marrakech.