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Bosporus

American  
[bos-per-uhs] / ˈbɒs pər əs /
Also Bosphorus

noun

  1. a strait connecting the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara. 18 miles (29 km) long.


Bosporus British  
/ ˈbɒspərəs, ˈbɒsfərəs /

noun

  1. a strait between European and Asian Turkey, linking the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara

"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

Bosporus Cultural  
  1. Strait separating the European and Asian portions of Turkey. The Bosporus is a link between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.


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It is an important shipping route for Russia, whose northern routes are mostly blocked by ice in winter, and for other nations that border the Black Sea or use any of the many major rivers that flow into it.

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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.

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The Black Sea, with its trade routes channeling both Russian and Ukrainian exports through the Bosporus to the rest of the world, has been a critical lever in the war before.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 12, 2026

Together with the Bosporus Strait, it serves as a vital route for commercial shipping between Europe and Asia.

From BBC Aug. 8, 2025

Home to some 16 million people and straddling the Bosporus between Europe and Asia, Istanbul generates much of Turkey’s economic output.

From New York Times Mar. 31, 2024

On Saturday, authorities at the Bulgarian port of Varna did not confirm whether the Anna-Theresa will enter the port or will continue to the Bosporus Strait.

From Washington Times Sep. 2, 2023

Mithradates the Great entrusted the Bosporus Cimmerius to his son Machares, who, however, deserted to the Romans.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Slice 3 "Borgia, Lucrezia" to "Bradford, John" by Various

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