/dis"trikt/ , n.
1. a division of territory, as of a country, state, or county, marked off for administrative, electoral, or other purposes.
2. a region or locality: the theater district; the Lake District.
3. Brit. a subdivision of a county or a town.
4. the District , the District of Columbia; Washington, D.C.
v.t.
5. to divide into districts.
[ 1605-15; ( districtus exercise of justice, (area of) jurisdiction, deriv. of L distringere to stretch out (see DISTRAIN), equiv. to di- DI- 2 + strig- (base of stringere to bind, tie) + -tus suffix of verbal action ]