Caucasus

American  

[kaw-kuh-suhs] / ˈkɔ kə səs /

noun

1. Also called Caucasus Mountains.  the Caucasus. a mountain range in Caucasia, between the Black and Caspian seas, along the border between the Russian Federation, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. Highest peak, Mt. Elbrus, 18,481 feet (5,633 meters).

2. Also Caucasia a region between the Black and Caspian seas: divided by the Caucasus Mountains into Ciscaucasia in Europe and Transcaucasia in Asia.

---

Caucasus British  

/ ˈkɔːkəsəs /

noun

1. Also called: Caucasus Mountains.  a mountain range in SW Russia, running along the N borders of Georgia and Azerbaijan, between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea: mostly over 2700 m (9000 ft). Highest peak: Mount Elbrus, 5642 m (18 510 ft)

2. another name for Caucasia

---

Caucasus Cultural  

1. Mountain range extending from the Black Sea southeast to the Caspian Sea, through extreme southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

---

Discover More

It forms part of the traditional border between Europe and Asia.

Oil is its major resource. In World War II, the Germans tried to seize or neutralize this resource but were driven back by the Soviets.

Example Sentences

“When it comes to the South Caucasus, it almost seems like Trump is deliberately tweaking the Russians,” said Samuel Charap, a senior political scientist at Rand, a defense think tank.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

“I don’t see the Iranians unconditionally surrendering,” she said, adding that the last time Tehran did so was in an 1800s treaty with the Russian Empire, when it ceded territory in the Caucasus.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 15, 2026

Sarvarov fought in the Russian army's campaigns in the North Caucasus, including Chechnya in the 1990s, according to his official biography on the defence ministry's website.

From Barron's • Dec. 22, 2025

These vulnerable areas include the Alps, the Caucasus, the Rocky Mountains, and parts of the Andes and African mountain ranges located at low latitudes.

From Science Daily • Dec. 19, 2025

It was a national project to select landing sites for future passenger airports in the Crimea, Caucasus, and Sea of Azov areas.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein