1. A state of the northeast United States. One of the original Thirteen Colonies, it was explored by Samuel de Champlain and Henry Hudson and claimed by the Dutch in 1624 but fell to the English in 1664-1667. New York ratified the United States Constitution in 1788. The building of the Erie Canal and railroad lines in the 1820s and 1830s led to development of the western part of the state and great economic prosperity, establishing New York City as the financial center of the nation. Albany is the capital and New York City the largest city.

2. or New York City A city of southern New York on New York Bay at the mouth of the Hudson River. Founded by the Dutch as New Amsterdam, it was renamed by the English in honor of the Duke of York. It is the largest city in the country and a major commercial and cultural center. Originally consisting only of Manhattan Island, it was rechartered in 1898 to include the five present-day boroughs of Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island.