MIDDLE EAST

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Middle East mean? 

• MIDDLE EAST (noun)
  The noun MIDDLE EAST has 1 sense:

1. the area around the eastern Mediterranean; from Turkey to northern Africa and eastward to Iran; the site of such ancient civilizations as Phoenicia and Babylon and Egypt and the birthplace of Judaism and Christianity and Islam; had continuous economic and political turmoil in the 20th century

  Familiarity information: MIDDLE EAST used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MIDDLE EAST (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The area around the eastern Mediterranean; from Turkey to northern Africa and eastward to Iran; the site of such ancient civilizations as Phoenicia and Babylon and Egypt and the birthplace of Judaism and Christianity and Islam; had continuous economic and political turmoil in the 20th century

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Synonyms:

Middle East; Mideast; Near East

Context example:

the Middle East is the cradle of Western civilization

Instance hypernyms:

geographic area; geographic region; geographical area; geographical region (a demarcated area of the Earth)

Meronyms (parts of "Middle East"):

Israel; Sion; State of Israel; Yisrael; Zion (Jewish republic in southwestern Asia at eastern end of Mediterranean; formerly part of Palestine)

Republic of Turkey; Turkey (a Eurasian republic in Asia Minor and the Balkans; on the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in 1918, the Young Turks, led by Kemal Ataturk, established a republic in 1923)

Syria; Syrian Arab Republic (an Asian republic in the Middle East at the east end of the Mediterranean; site of some of the world's most ancient centers of civilization)

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Saudi Arabia (an absolute monarchy occupying most of the Arabian Peninsula in southwest Asia; vast oil reserves dominate the economy)

Lebanese Republic; Lebanon (an Asian republic at east end of Mediterranean)

Koweit; Kuwait; State of Kuwait (an Arab kingdom in Asia on the northwestern coast of the Persian Gulf; a major source of petroleum)

Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; Jordan (an Arab kingdom in southwestern Asia on the Red Sea)

Levant (the former name for the geographical area of the eastern Mediterranean that is now occupied by Lebanon, Syria, and Israel)

Al-Iraq; Irak; Iraq; Republic of Iraq (a republic in the Middle East in western Asia; the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia was in the area now known as Iraq)

Iran; Islamic Republic of Iran; Persia (a theocratic Islamic republic in the Middle East in western Asia; Iran was the core of the ancient empire that was known as Persia until 1935; rich in oil)

Arab Republic of Egypt; Egypt; United Arab Republic (a republic in northeastern Africa known as the United Arab Republic until 1971; site of an ancient civilization that flourished from 2600 to 30 BC)

Israel (an ancient kingdom of the Hebrew tribes at the southeastern end of the Mediterranean Sea; founded by Saul around 1025 BC and destroyed by the Assyrians in 721 BC)

Fertile Crescent (a geographical area of fertile land in the Middle East stretching in a broad semicircle from the Nile to the Tigris and Euphrates)

Domain member region:

Operation Desert Storm (the United States and its allies defeated Iraq in a ground war that lasted 100 hours (1991))

falafel; felafel (small croquette of mashed chick peas or fava beans seasoned with sesame seeds)

pita; pocket bread (usually small round bread that can open into a pocket for filling)

zarf (an ornamental metal cup-shaped holder for a hot coffee cup)

Arab-Israeli War; Yom Kippur War (Egypt and Syria attacked Israel in October 1973 (on Yom Kippur); Israel counterattacked and drove the Syrians back and crossed the Suez Canal into Egypt)

Arab-Israeli War; Six-Day War; Six Day War (tension between Arabs and Israeli erupted into a brief war in June 1967; Israel emerged as a major power in the Middle East)

Instance hyponyms:

Mashriq (Arabic name for the Middle East)

 Context examples 

As a note to those readers who are curious: in the US, the eclipse will fall on December 25 and later, on December 26, in countries in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Australia.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Since then, the bird flu virus has spread to birds in countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.

(Bird Flu, NIH)

It is endemic in Africa and parts of the Middle East, and affects the urinary tract.

(Bladder Schistosomiasis, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

The exception is the Middle East along the Nile Valley, where it represents the most common form of carcinoma because of the endemic nature of schistosomiasis.

(Bladder Squamous Cell Carcinoma, NCI Thesaurus)

But you should be aware of it if you are traveling to the Middle East or parts of Central America, South America, Asia, Africa or southern Europe.

(Leishmaniasis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

The other group is called Sephardic Jews and includes those whose ancestors lived in North Africa, the Middle East, and Spain.

(Ashkenazi Jews, NCI Dictionary)

It is rare in the United States, but is common in the Middle East and Asia.

(Behcet's Syndrome, NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

The other group is designated Sephardic Jews and includes those whose ancestors lived in North Africa, the Middle East, and Spain.

(Ashkenazi Jew, NCI Dictionary)

Beautifully ornamented tusks were documented as far away as the Middle East and India.

(Extinction of Icelandic walrus coincides with Norse settlement, National Science Foundation)

Earth has dust storms, too, in desert regions such as North Africa, the Middle East and the southwest United States.

(Martian Dust Storm Grows Global: Curiosity Captures Photos of Thickening Haze, NASA)