Dead Sea

Save This Word!

noun

a salt lake between Israel and Jordan: the lowest lake in the world, more than 1,400 feet (430 meters) below sea level. Water from the lake, whose extreme salinity and high mineral content make it inhospitable to plant or animal life, has been used for health purposes since ancient times.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of Dead Sea

First recorded in 1300–50

Words nearby Dead Sea

dead-reckon, dead reckoning, dead ringer, deadrise, dead run, Dead Sea, Dead Sea fruit, Dead Sea Scrolls, dead set, dead set against, dead slow

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

How to use Dead Sea in a sentence

Their writings, the Dead Sea Scrolls, were discovered after the war: a rich trove of sacred literature.
Who Was Jesus, Anyway?|Jay Parini|December 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The Kidron Valley wends its way from the eastern side of the Old City, through the Judean Desert, to the Dead Sea.
Losing Jerusalem Sewage Plant Could Prove Longer Term Win for Palestinians|Hillel Cohen|September 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Only in Israel could you see the Dead Sea Scrolls and the place where the technology on board the Mars Rover originated.
Full Video and Transcript of Obama's Speech in Israel|Justin Green|March 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Rand Paul's recent Israel visit included a dip in the Dead Sea.
Rand Paul Swims in the Dead Sea|Justin Green|January 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST

While some may see a cynical feint—float in the Dead Sea and watch the Jewish vote pour in!
Carly's Schlep to Israel|Samuel P. Jacobs|September 8, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Here and there, though rarely, these slopes centre in a basin which is occupied by a lake or a dead sea.
Outlines of the Earth's History|Nathaniel Southgate Shaler
We have already noted the fact that the basin of a dead sea becomes in course of time the seat of extensive salt deposits.
Outlines of the Earth's History|Nathaniel Southgate Shaler
It is, of course, a dead sea, for there is absolutely nothing living in it save a variety of shrimp of low organization.
The Cradle of Mankind|W.A. Wigram
Grey Abbey is like the Dead Sea, of which the waters are always bitter as well as stagnant.
The Kellys and the O'Kellys|Anthony Trollope
It was with a shout, one day, that we welcomed a good wind, and shot clear of this dead sea of vegetable matter.
Tramping on Life|Harry Kemp

British Dictionary definitions for Dead Sea

Dead Sea

noun

a lake between Israel, Jordan, and the West Bank, now 420 m (1378 ft) below sea level; originally 390 m (1285 ft): the lowest lake in the world, with no outlet and very high salinity; outline, esp at the southern end, reduced considerably in recent years. Area: originally about 950 sq km (365 sq miles); by 2003 about 625 sq km (240 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

Cultural definitions for Dead Sea

Dead Sea

Salt lake on the border between Israel and Jordan.

notes for Dead Sea

Its shore, at approximately thirteen hundred feet below sea level, is the lowest point of dry land on Earth.