Ashdod

American  

[ash-dod, ahsh-dawd] / ˈæʃ dɒd, ɑʃˈdɔd /

Also Esdud

noun

1. a town in western Israel: an important ancient Philistine city; early center of Christianity.

---

Ashdod British  

/ ˈæʃdɒd /

noun

1. a town in central Israel, on the Mediterranean coast: an important city in the Philistine Empire, with its artificial harbour (1961) it is now a major port. Pop: 192 000 (2003 est)

---

Example Sentences

Air raid alerts sounded across Israel, including in the commercial hub of Tel Aviv and the southern coastal city of Ashdod, after rocket fire from Lebanon.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

Israeli authorities escorted the activists to the port of Ashdod before deporting them from the country.

From BBC • Sep. 1, 2025

Stormy weather sent a strip of docking and a small U.S. military vessel ashore near the southern Israeli city of Ashdod on Saturday.

From Seattle Times • May 26, 2024

At a ceremony in Ashdod, on the Mediterranean coast, bystanders shouted at the national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, calling him a “criminal,” before his supporters tried to drown them out.

From New York Times • May 13, 2024

I prefer to dwell in Gath and to pitch my tents in Ashdod; and I doubt the use of the sling as a weapon in modern war.

From The Best of the World's Classics, Restricted to Prose, Vol. VI (of X)—Great Britain and Ireland IV by Halsey, Francis W. (Francis Whiting)