1. ( abbr Dur ) ( also County Durham ) a county in north-east England that used to be a major centre of coal mining, shipbuilding and steel-making.
2. ( also Durham City ) a city in the county of Durham and its administrative centre. It has a castle, now the home of the University of Durham, and a beautiful Norman cathedral, one of the best examples of Romanesque architecture in Europe. Durham Castle and Durham Cathedral were made a World Heritage Site in 1986.