Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • A capital city: The capital city of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda.
   • A port city in Canada: A major port city located in southeastern Ontario, Canada, at the western tip of Lake Ontario.
   • A surname of historical figures: The family name of several notable individuals, primarily referring to Alexander Hamilton, a Founding Father of the United States.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun (Place):
  • We flew into Hamilton on our vacation to Bermuda.
  • The steel industry was historically important to Hamilton, Ontario.
• Proper noun (Person):
  • Alexander Hamilton was a key author of the Federalist Papers.
  • The duel between Hamilton and Burr is a famous event in American history.

Advanced Usage

• "Hamiltonian": (Adjective) Pertaining to or characteristic of Alexander Hamilton or his political and economic principles.
  • The politician advocated for a Hamiltonian approach to federal finance.
• In academic contexts: The name "Hamilton" is used in various fields, such as in mathematics ("Hamiltonian path") or physics ("Hamiltonian mechanics"), derived from the work of Sir William Rowan Hamilton.

Variants and Related Words

• Hamiltonian (n): A supporter of the policies or principles of Alexander Hamilton.
  • As a Hamiltonian, he favored a strong central bank.
• Hamilton (musical): A highly popular Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda about the life of Alexander Hamilton. (Note: This is a distinct cultural work that uses the name.)

Synonyms

• For the city (Bermuda): Capital (of Bermuda).
• For the person (Alexander Hamilton): Founding Father, statesman, Secretary of the Treasury.

Related Phrases

• "The Hamilton-Burr duel": A specific historical reference to the fatal duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr in 1804.
  • Their rivalry culminated in the Hamilton-Burr duel.

Related Idioms

• "Talk less, smile more": A line and thematic idea popularized by the musical, advising strategic silence. While not a traditional idiom, it has entered modern usage via the cultural phenomenon.
  • In that negotiation, I decided to take Aaron Burr's advice and "talk less, smile more."

Noun

1. the capital of Bermuda
2. a port city in southeastern Ontario at the western end of Lake Ontario
3. United States statesman and leader of the Federalists; as the first Secretary of the Treasury he establish a federal bank; was mortally wounded in a duel with Aaron Burr (1755-1804)
4. United States toxicologist known for her work on industrial poisons (1869-1970)
5. English beauty who was the mistress of Admiral Nelson (1765-1815)
6. Irish mathematician (1806-1865)