Pearl Harbor

noun

: a surprise attack often with devastating effect

Word History

Etymology

Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii, American naval station attacked without warning by the Japanese on December 7, 1941

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined above

Geographical Definition

Pearl Harbor

geographical name

inlet of the Pacific on the southern coast of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu; site of a U.S. Navy base

Note: The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 precipitated the U.S. entry into World War II.