n.
Pronunciation: ' r ə -sh ə
Variant: or Russian Ros · si · ya \ rä- ' s ē -y ə \
Function: geographical name
1 or formerly Mus · co · vy \ ' m ə s-k ə -v ē \ former empire E Europe & N Asia coextensive (except for Finland & Kars, a mountainous region now in NE Turkey) with the U.S.S.R. capital St. Petersburg
2 the U.S.S.R. ― a popular usage despite the fact that the U.S.S.R. included other republics besides Russia
3 or officially Russian Federation independent country in E Europe & N Asia bordering on Arctic & Pacific oceans & on Baltic & Black seas; a constituent republic ( Russian Republic or Soviet Russia ) of the U.S.S.R. 1922-91 capital Moscow area 6,592,812 sq mi (17,075,383 sq km ), pop 148,000,000