Baghdad

or Bag·dad

[bag-dad, buh g-dad]

noun

a city in and the capital of Iraq, in the central part, on the Tigris.

Iraq

or I·rak

[ih-rak, ih-rahk]

noun

a republic in SW Asia, N of Saudi Arabia and W of Iran, centering in the Tigris-Euphrates basin of Mesopotamia. 172,000 sq. mi. (445,480 sq. km). Capital: Baghdad.

Related formspro-I·raq, adjectivetrans-I·raq, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for baghdad

The U.S. launched campaigns in the restive Iraqi city of Fallujah and a surge campaign in Baghdad.
Pentagon Doesn’t Know How Many People It’s Killed in the ISIS War|Nancy A. Youssef|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He prepared operations south of Samarra and north of Baghdad.
What an Iranian Funeral Tells Us About the Wars in Iraq|IranWire|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
All the roads into Iraqi Kurdistan and toward Baghdad are closed and now the road toward Syria is also blocked.
Has the Kurdish Victory at Sinjar Turned the Tide of ISIS War?|Niqash|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His bloodthirsty fighters might be Baghdad's best hope of stopping the Islamic State.
The Daily Beast’s Best Longreads, Nov 3-9, 2014|William Boot|November 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST

It is not even certain that they can or will defend Baghdad or the oil facilities to the south.
There’s Only One Way to Beat ISIS: Work With Assad and Iran|Leslie H. Gelb|October 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The going was so much better that we were able to make Baghdad at ten o'clock in the evening.
War in the Garden of Eden|Kermit Roosevelt
In spite of her decline and fall Baghdad is still a holy place to all faithful Mohammedans.
A Dweller in Mesopotamia|Donald Maxwell
In spite of this slovenliness in detail there is colour and light in all recollections of Baghdad's dusty streets.
A Dweller in Mesopotamia|Donald Maxwell
In former times there lived not far from Baghdad a half-witted fellow, who was much addicted to the use of bang.
The Book of Noodles|W. A. Clouston
An officer on the staff of the military governor of Baghdad had recently died.
War in the Garden of Eden|Kermit Roosevelt

British Dictionary definitions for baghdad

Baghdad

Bagdad

noun

the capital of Iraq, on the River Tigris: capital of the Abbasid Caliphate (762–1258). Pop: 5 910 000 (2005 est)

Iraq

noun

a republic in SW Asia, on the Persian Gulf: coextensive with ancient Mesopotamia; became a British mandate in 1920, independent in 1932, and a republic in 1958. The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait (1990) led to their defeat in the first Gulf War (1991) by US-led UN forces. The second Gulf War (2003) took place when Iraq was invaded by a coalition of US, UK and other forces; government elected in 2005, although there is continuing violence and resistance to the coalition presence; the last coalition troops left the country in 2011. Iraq consists chiefly of the mountains of Kurdistan in the northeast, part of the Syrian Desert, and the lower basin of the Rivers Tigris and Euphrates. Oil is the major export. Official language: Arabic; Kurdish is official in the Kurdish Autonomous Region only. Official religion: Muslim. Currency: dinar. Capital: Baghdad. Pop: 31 858 481 (2013 est). Area: 438 446 sq km (169 284 sq 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

Word Origin and History for baghdad

Baghdad

a pre-Islamic name apparently of Indo-European origin and probably meaning "gift of god," with the first element related to Russian bog "god" and the second to English donor. Marco Polo (13c.) wrote it Baudac.

Iraq

country name, 1920, from an Arabic name attested since 6c. for the region known in Greek as Mesopotamia; often said to be from Arabic `araqa, covering notions such as "perspiring, deeply rooted, well-watered," which may reflect the impression the lush river-land made on desert Arabs. But the name may be from, or influenced by, Sumerian Uruk (Biblical Erech), anciently a prominent city in what is now southern Iraq (from Sumerian uru "city").

Culture definitions for baghdad

Baghdad

Capital of Iraq, located in central Iraq on both banks of the Tigris River.

Note

Baghdad has long been one of the great cities of the Muslim world.

Note

It was bombed heavily during the Persian Gulf War.

Iraq

[(i-rak, i-rahk)]

Republic in the Middle East, bordered by the Persian Gulf, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia to the south; Jordan and Syria to the west; Turkey to the north; and Iran to the east. Its capital and largest city is Baghdad.

Note

The ancient civilization of Mesopotamia emerged in the valley between the Euphrates River and Tigris River in what is now Iraq.

Note

Ruled by Saddam Hussein, a dictator who invaded Iran in 1980 and Kuwait in 1990. (See also Persian Gulf War.)