Mid-Atlantic states
2
3.4
- proper noun
- /ˌmɪd əˈtlæntɪk steɪts/
- US
:
estados del Medio Atlántico
- Those of us in the Mid-Atlantic states have been here before.
- Mid-Atlantic states and Northeast
Examples
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The area, in Susquehanna County, sits atop a section of the Marcellus Shale formation, which spans several Mid-Atlantic states.
Blog text (32) -
The Mid-Atlantic states are known for their rich cultural diversity and vibrant cities.
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...it looks like it is going to cut its way through the mid-Atlantic states.
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In total, 55 of the 95 full-scale projects are in the New England and Mid-Atlantic states.
Academic text (1999) -
With Hurricane Sandy still churning several hundred miles off the Eastern Seaboard, its impact was already being felt in mid-Atlantic states late Sunday night.
Blog text (33) -
After all, who would condone detonating hundreds of nuclear bombs in the Great Plains, the Midwest, the Deep South, New England, or the Mid-Atlantic states?
Academic text (2012) -
Eerie, because the release came just as Hurricane Sandy roared into the mid-Atlantic states and brought about the most devastating coastal flooding ever seen in that region.
Blog text (8) -
(Geographically, the 4th covers five Mid-Atlantic states from Maryland to South Carolina, and the 9th covers nine Western states, plus a Pacific territory and a commonwealth.)
Academic text (1999) -
By region, the Mid-Atlantic states have the largest number of projects (71), followed by New England (64), the South (56), the West (45), the Rocky Mountains (42), the Midwest (33), and the Great Lakes (16).
Academic text (1995) -
Many popular tourist attractions are located in the Mid-Atlantic states, including historical sites and national parks.
Synonyms
A region in the eastern United States that includes states like New York and New Jersey
Surface Forms
Morphology
Mid-Atlantic + state
The phrase is compositional: 'Mid-Atlantic' denotes the central Atlantic coastal region and 'states' denotes political subdivisions, so together it clearly refers to the U.S. states in the Mid-Atlantic region. This kind of geographic naming is cross-linguistically common and predictable, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can infer the general meaning (though identifying the specific member states requires additional cultural knowledge).
Etymology
The name Mid-Atlantic states comes from a simple map image: the states sit in the mid, or 'middle', part of the U.S. east coast next to the Atlantic Ocean. That's why the phrase means the group of states in that middle Atlantic area.