definitions

Cairo

[ kahy-roh ]
/ ˈkaɪ roʊ /

noun

a city in and the capital of Egypt, in the N part on the E bank of the Nile.

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Definition for cairo (2 of 2)

Egypt

[ ee-jipt ]
/ ˈi dʒɪpt /

noun

Arab Republic of. a republic in NE Africa. 386,198 sq. mi. (1,000,252 sq. km). Capital: Cairo.Arabic Misr.Formerly United Arab Republic.
an ancient kingdom in NE Africa: divided into the Nile Delta (Lower Egypt) and the area from Cairo S to the Sudan (Upper Egypt).
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for cairo

British Dictionary definitions for cairo (1 of 2)

Cairo

/ (ˈkaɪrəʊ) /

noun

the capital of Egypt, on the Nile: the largest city in Africa and in the Middle East; industrial centre; site of the university and mosque of Al Azhar (founded in 972). Pop: 11 146 000 (2005 est)Arabic name: El Qahira (ɛl ˈkahiːrɔ)
Derived FormsCairene, noun, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for cairo (2 of 2)

Egypt

/ (ˈiːdʒɪpt) /

noun

a republic in NE Africa, on the Mediterranean and Red Sea: its history dates back about 5000 years. Occupied by the British from 1882, it became an independent kingdom in 1922 and a republic in 1953. Over 96 per cent of the total area is desert, with the chief areas of habitation and cultivation in the Nile delta and valley. Cotton is the main export. Official language: Arabic. Official religion: Muslim; Sunni majority. Currency: pound. Capital: Cairo. Pop: 85 294 388 (2013 est). Area: 997 739 sq km (385 229 sq miles)Official name: Arab Republic of Egypt Former official name (1958–71): United Arab Republic
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

Culture definitions for cairo (1 of 3)

Cairo

[ (keye-roh) ]

The capital of Egypt (see also Egypt) and largest city in the country; a major port just south of the Nile Delta in the northeast corner of Africa.

Note

Cairo, the historical center of Egyptian power, was the home of the pharaohs. The pyramids and the Sphinx are located nearby in suburban Giza, also known as Al Jizah.

Culture definitions for cairo (2 of 3)

Egypt

An ancient empire in Africa that was centered on the Nile River. Ruled by a pharaoh, Egypt figures prominently in many events in the Bible (see also Bible), including the stories of Joseph and his brothers and of Moses and the Exodus. (See under “World Geography.”)

Culture definitions for cairo (3 of 3)

Egypt

Officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, a country in northeastern Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Israel and the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south, and Libya to the west. The principal geographic feature of the country is the Nile River. Its capital and largest city is Cairo. (See also Alexandria.)

Note

Egypt is the site of one of man's earliest civilizations, which flourished from about 3100 b.c. to 30 b.c., when it became part of the Roman Empire. Many ancient works of art and architecture survive, including the pyramids and the Sphinx.

Note

Egypt was the first Arab nation to make peace with Israel (see Arab-Israeli conflict), a feat accomplished after Egyptian President Anwar Sadat traveled to Israel in 1977 to meet Prime Minister Menachem Begin. Sadat was later assassinated by Muslim extremists.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.