Egypt

[ ee-jipt ]

noun
  1. Arab Republic of Egypt. a republic in northeastern Africa. 386,198 sq. mi. (1,000,252 sq. km). Capital: Cairo.: Arabic Misr [mis-ruh] /ˈmɪs rə/ .Formerly United Arab Republic .

  2. an ancient kingdom in northeastern Africa: divided into the Nile Delta (Lower Egypt ) and the area from Cairo south to the Sudan (Upper Egypt ).

Words Nearby Egypt

Other definitions for Egypt. (2 of 2)

Egypt.

abbreviation

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Egypt in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Egypt

Egypt

/ (ˈiːdʒɪpt) /


noun
  1. a republic in NE Africa, on the Mediterranean and Red Sea: its history dates back about 5000 years. Occupied by the British from 1882, it became an independent kingdom in 1922 and a republic in 1953. Over 96 per cent of the total area is desert, with the chief areas of habitation and cultivation in the Nile delta and valley. Cotton is the main export. Official language: Arabic. Official religion: Muslim; Sunni majority. Currency: pound. Capital: Cairo. Pop: 85 294 388 (2013 est). Area: 997 739 sq km (385 229 sq miles): Official name: Arab Republic of Egypt Former official name (1958–71): United Arab Republic

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Egypt (1 of 2)

Egypt

An ancient empire in Africa that was centered on the Nile River. Ruled by a pharaoh, Egypt figures prominently in many events in the Bible (see also Bible), including the stories of Joseph and his brothers and of Moses and the Exodus. (See under “World Geography.”)

Egypt

Officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, a country in northeastern Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Israel and the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south, and Libya to the west. The principal geographic feature of the country is the Nile River. Its capital and largest city is Cairo. (See also Alexandria.)

Notes for Egypt

Egypt is the site of one of man's earliest civilizations, which flourished from about 3100 b.c. to 30 b.c., when it became part of the Roman Empire. Many ancient works of art and architecture survive, including the pyramids and the Sphinx.

Notes for Egypt

Egypt was the first Arab nation to make peace with Israel (see Arab-Israeli conflict), a feat accomplished after Egyptian President Anwar Sadat traveled to Israel in 1977 to meet Prime Minister Menachem Begin. Sadat was later assassinated by Muslim extremists.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.