n.
Pronunciation: ' sär, ' zär
Function: geographical name
1 or F Sarre \ ' sär \ river ab 150 mi (241 km ) Europe flowing from Vosges Mountains in France N to the Moselle in W Germany
2 or Saar · land \ ' sär- ˌ land, ' zär- \ region W Europe in basin of Saar River bet. France & Germany; once part of Lorraine, became part of Germany in 19th century; administered by League of Nations 1919-35; became a state of Germany 1935; came under control of France after World War II; to W. Germany by a plebiscite Jan. 1, 1957, as a state ( Saarland ) capital Saarbrücken area 991 sq mi (2567 sq km ), pop 1,073,000