Behistun

[ bey-hi-stoon ]

/ ˌbeɪ hɪˈstun /

Save This Word!

noun

a ruined town in W Iran: site of a cliff that bears on its face a cuneiform inscription in Old Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian that provided a key for the decipherment of cuneiform in other languages.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Also Bisitun, Bisutun.

Words nearby Behistun

behind someone's back, behind the eight ball, behind-the-scenes, behind the times, behind time, Behistun, Behmen, Behmenist, Behn, behold, beholden

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Behistun in a sentence

He travelled all over Persia and one day he happened to visit the village of Behistun.
Ancient Man|Hendrik Willem van Loon
Darius, in his inscriptions on Mount Behistun, has left us the authentic though very compressed history of Cambyses.
The History of Antiquity|Max Duncker
The only historical sculpture which is at present known, is the inscription of Darius at Behistun.
The History of Antiquity|Max Duncker
We can fix precisely the position of this district by the hill consecrated to Zeus near the modern Behistun.
The History of Antiquity|Max Duncker

On the monument of Darius at Behistun Çakuka, the leader of the Sacæ, wears a tall pointed cap.
The History of Antiquity|Max Duncker

British Dictionary definitions for Behistun

Behistun

Bisitun or Bisutun

/ (ˌbeɪhɪˈstuːn) /

noun

a village in W Iran by the ancient road from Ecbatana to Babylon. On a nearby cliff is an inscription by Darius in Old Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian describing his enthronement

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