Euphrates

American

[yoo-frey-teez] / juˈfreɪ tiz /

noun

a river in SW Asia, flowing from E Turkey through Syria and Iraq, joining the Tigris to form the Shatt-al-Arab near the Persian Gulf. 1,700 miles (2,735 km) long.

Euphrates British

/ juːˈfreɪtiːz /

noun

a river in SW Asia, rising in E Turkey and flowing south across Syria and Iraq to join the Tigris, forming the Shatt-al-Arab, which flows to the head of the Persian Gulf: important in ancient times for the extensive irrigation of its valley (in Mesopotamia). Length: 3598 km (2235 miles)

"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

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Syrian authorities have said the country was experiencing an "exceptional" rise in water levels along the Euphrates River, which originates in Turkey and flows through the Raqa and Deir Ezzor provinces before reaching neighbouring Iraq.

From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026

The energy ministry also said it closed one of the spillways from the Euphrates Dam which it had previously opened in to help reduce the flows.

From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026

Earlier, the army took the strategic Tabqa dam on the Euphrates river.

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026

The push came after the SDF announced it would redeploy east of the Euphrates, following deadly clashes last week.

From BBC • Jan. 18, 2026

One such place is the Fertile Crescent, where the mountains of western Iran and the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth, bracket the Tigris and Euphrates river systems.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023