panama
noun
pan·a·ma
ˈpa-nə-ˌmä 
-ˌmȯ
often capitalized
: a lightweight hat of natural-colored straw hand-plaited of narrow strips from the young leaves of the jipijapa
also
: a machine-made imitation of this
Examples of panama in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Duchess Meghan, wearing a white blouse and panama hat, is spotted holding their three-month-old son, who donned a striped sweater and beige pants.
—
Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, 19 Aug. 2019
Upstairs, stacks of vintage suitcases line a high bedroom shelf; in the dressing room, a collection of panama hats adorns an antique ladder.
—Maria Shollenbarger, ELLE Decor, 18 Oct. 2018
Ariana Grande has her oversize pullovers, Kate Middleton has her skirt suits, Meghan Markle has her panama hat, and Pippa Middleton?
—Marina Liao, Marie Claire, 27 Aug. 2018
Markle swapped out the fanciful fascinators and proper toppers for a panama hat to finish the look with polish.
—Edward Barsamian, Vogue, 14 July 2018
For Markle, the classic cream panama hat with a black ribbon fit the bill.
—Anna Millard, refinery29.com, 14 July 2018
Pippa carried a straw J.Crew clutch (on sale for $60) and matching Jess Collett hand woven panama trilby hat.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE.com, 5 July 2018
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Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, 19 Aug. 2019
Upstairs, stacks of vintage suitcases line a high bedroom shelf; in the dressing room, a collection of panama hats adorns an antique ladder.
—Maria Shollenbarger, ELLE Decor, 18 Oct. 2018
Ariana Grande has her oversize pullovers, Kate Middleton has her skirt suits, Meghan Markle has her panama hat, and Pippa Middleton?
—Marina Liao, Marie Claire, 27 Aug. 2018
Markle swapped out the fanciful fascinators and proper toppers for a panama hat to finish the look with polish.
—Edward Barsamian, Vogue, 14 July 2018
For Markle, the classic cream panama hat with a black ribbon fit the bill.
—Anna Millard, refinery29.com, 14 July 2018
Pippa carried a straw J.Crew clutch (on sale for $60) and matching Jess Collett hand woven panama trilby hat.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE.com, 5 July 2018
Cite this Entry
“Panama.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/panama. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
panama
noun
pan·a·ma
ˈpan-ə-ˌmä
-ˌmȯ
often capitalized
: a lightweight hat made of narrow strips from the young leaves of a tropical American tree
Geographical Definition
Panama
geographical name
Pan·a·ma
ˈpa-nə-ˌmä
-ˌmȯ,
ˌpa-nə-ˈmä,
-ˈmȯ
;
ˌpä-nä-ˈmä
variants
or Spanish Panamá
1
country in southernmost Central America between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific; a republic; before 1903 part of Colombia area (including Canal Zone) 30,765 square miles (79,681 square kilometers), population 3,801,000
2
or Panama City
city, port on the Gulf of Panama, and capital of Panama population 430,000
3
ship canal 51 miles (82 kilometers) long in central Panama connecting the Atlantic (via the Caribbean Sea) and the Pacific (via the Gulf of Panama)
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