From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) :
the States
n 1: North American republic containing 50 states - 48
conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in
northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the
Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776 [syn: United
States, United States of America, America, the
States, US, U.S., USA, U.S.A.]