Lexical Definition

‎χώρα‎ chṓra (kho'-rah) country ^G:N-F
feminine of a derivative of the base of ‎χάσμα‎ through the idea of empty expanse

coast, county, fields, ground, land, region.

• room, i.e. a space of territory (more or less extensive
• often including its inhabitants)

Abbott-Smith

χώρα, -ας, ἡ [in LXX for אֶרֶץ, מְדִינָה, etc. ;]
1. most freq. in cl., a space, place.
2. land, i.e.
(a) a land, country, region: Mt 12:2, Mk 5:10 6:55, Lk 2:8 15:13-15 19:12, Jo 11:54, Ac 13:49 27:27; χ. Γαλατική, Ac 16:6 18:23; Τραχωνίτιδος, Lk 3:1; τ. Ἰουδαίας, Ac 26:20; τ. Ἰουδαίων, Ac 10:39; pl., τῆς Ἰουδαίας κ. Σαμαρείας, Ac 8:1; Γεργεσηνῶν (Γερασηνῶν, Γαδαρηνῶν) Mt 8:28, Mk 5:1, Lk 8:26; ἐν χ. καὶ σκιᾷ θανάτου, Mt 4:16;
(b) land, property: Lk 12:16;
(c) the country, opp. to the town; so in pl., Lk 21:21, Jo 4:35, Ja 5:4.†
SYN.: ἄγρος, τόπος (cf. DCG, i, 591a; LS, s.v. χώρα, ad init.).

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

χώρα,

Ionic dialect χώρη, ἡ, ={χῶρος}, space or room in which a thing is, defined as partly occupied space, distinguished from κενόν and τόπος, [χώραν 5th-4th c.BC: Timaeus Locrus Philosophus 94b (in ὁ τόπος τῆς χ. 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Leges” 705c χώρα">Refs 5th c.BC+] = country[χώρας ἐν τόποις Λιβυστικοῖς 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Eumenides” 292); οὐδέ τι πολλὴ χώρη μεσσηγύς 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 23.521; νόμισμα.. χώρας μεγάλης δέοιτ᾽ ἄν 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Respublica Lacedaemoniorum” 7.5 ">Refs 8th c.BC+]; χώραν τινὶ καταλιπεῖν leave room for it, [Refs 1st c.AD+]

__2 generally, place, spot, στρέψεσθ᾽ ἐκ χώρης ὅθι.. [Refs 8th c.BC+]; χώραν ἐκ χώρας μεταβάλλειν move from place to place, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; field in a ceiling, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ἡ πρώτη χ. the first field (on the chest of Cypselus), [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; socket or cavity of a joint, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of the eye, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; as euphemism for the genital organs, [Refs]
__3 the position, proper place of a person or thing, ἐνὶ χώρῃ ἕζεται [Refs 8th c.BC+]: especially a soldier's post, Ἄρης οὐκ ἔνι χώρα is not at his post (or perhaps in the land,[Refs 5th c.BC+]; χώραν λιπεῖν, προλείπειν, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μισθοφορεῖν κεναῖς χ. draw pay for unfilled vacancies, [Refs 4th c.BC+] fill a person's place, [χώραν λαβεῖν">Refs 6th c.AD+] take a position, find one's place, ἕως ἂν χώραν λάβῃ [τὰ πράγματα] till they are brought into position, into order, [χώραν διακονίας 1st-2nd c.AD: Plutarchus Biographus et Philosophus 2.62d ">Refs 5th c.BC+]; οὐκ ἂν ἔχοι χώραν νοήσεως ἡντινοῦν τὸ ἀγαθόν the Good cannot have any possibility of thinking, [Refs 3rd c.AD+]; σοὶ ἀστρονομεῖν χ. your province is astronomy, [χώραν ἔχει τὸ αὐτόματον 4th-5th c.AD: Eunapius Historicus “Fragmenta Historica - HGM” p.225D.: frequently in the phrase ὥρα καὶ χ.,">Refs 2nd c.AD+] time and place, ἐν ὁποία ἀξία φυτευθῆναι καὶ ὥρὰ καὶ χώρᾳ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πρὸς ὥρας καὶ χώρας καὶ διαίτας[Refs 4th c.BC+] b. in metric, position of a foot in a verse, τὸ δακτυλικὸν δέχεται δακτύλους καὶ σπονδείους κατὰ πᾶσαν χ. [Refs 7th c.AD+]
__4 metaphorically, station, place, position, ἐν χώρᾳ τινὸς εἶναι to be in his position, be counted the same as he is, ἐν ἀνδραπόδων or μισθοφόρου χώρᾳ εἶναι to be in the position of slaves or mercenaries, to pass or rank as such, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν οὐδεμιᾷ χ. εἶναι to have no place or rank, be in no esteem, [Refs 6th c.BC+]
__5 in senses [χώρας ὁρμᾶν, opposed to πορευόμενος μάχεσθαι, 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Anabasis” 3.4.33 ">Refs 5th c.BC+]; εἰς τὰς ἑαυτῶν χ. πάρεισι are at their posts, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν χώρᾳ in one's place, at one's post, ἐν ταῖς χ. γενέσθαι [Refs]; ἐν χώρᾳ πίπτειν, ἀποθνῄσκειν, die at one's post, [Refs]; ἐπὶ χώρας ἕσσαι set it in its place, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; also μένειν ἐπὶ χώρας, ={μένειν κατὰ χώραν}, remain in force, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; κατὰ χώρην εἶναι be in one's place, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἤλπιζον.. οὐ μενεῖν κατὰ χ. τὰ πράγματα[Refs]as it was, undisturbed, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐᾶν κατὰ χ. τὴν πόλιν leave in its place, leave as it was, [χώραν μένειν τοὺς ἄλλους [νόμους] ἐᾶν 4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator 24.5 ">Refs 5th c.BC+]; κατὰ χ. ἀπιέναι retire in their old order, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II land, i.e. ,
__II.1 a land, country, ἅς τινας ἵκεο χώρας ἀνθρώπων [χώραν 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Persae” 271 (Lyric poetry); Εὐβοῖδα χ. 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Trachiniae” 74, etc.">Refs 8th c.BC+]; territory, ὁ τύραννος ἢ πόλεων ἢ χ. πολλῆς [ἐπιθυμεῖ] [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.2 landed estate, [Refs 5th c.BC+]. b. country town, τοὺς κήρυκας διαπέμψαντες ἐς τὰς χ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.3 the country, opposed to to the town, ἡ πόλις καὶ ἡ χ. [χώρας 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 2.5, 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Memorabilia” 3.6.11 ">Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὁ ἐκ τῆς χ. γιγνόμενος σῖτος[Refs]; ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ κοιταῖον γίγνεσθαι, opposed to ἐν ἄστει, Decrees cited in [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ἁ κοινὰ χ. (of two cities) [Refs 2nd c.BC+]: especially of Egypt as opposed to Alexandria, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; ἡ ἄνω χ. καὶ ἡ κάτω, Upper and Lower Egypt, [χώρα">Refs 3rd c.BC+] alone is used in Attic dialect; whereas in signification 1 χῶρος is common, except in the special sense of one's proper place or post (χῶρος and χώρα perhaps cognate with χῆρος, χῆτος).