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• Egypt
  Egypt

  noun

  Arab Republic of Egypt. a republic in northeastern Africa. 386,198 sq. mi. (1,000,252 sq. km). Cairo.
• Egypt.
  Egypt.

  abbreviation

  Egyptian.

Egypt

¹ American  

[ee-jipt] / ˈi dʒɪpt /

noun

1. Formerly United Arab Republic.  Arabic Misr.  Arab Republic of Egypt. a republic in northeastern Africa. 386,198 sq. mi. (1,000,252 sq. km). Cairo.

2. an ancient kingdom in northeastern Africa: divided into the Nile Delta Lower Egypt and the area from Cairo south to the Sudan Upper Egypt.

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Egypt. ² American  

Or Egypt.

abbreviation

1. Egyptian.

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Egypt British  

/ ˈiːdʒɪpt /

noun

1. Official name: Arab Republic of Egypt.  Former official name (1958–71): United Arab Republic.  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)

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Egypt ¹ Cultural  

1. 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.”)

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Egypt ² Cultural  

1. 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.)

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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.

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.

Example Sentences

A trip to ancient Egypt, for instance, leads to one of the Minions running out of toilet paper and accidentally unwrapping a nearby mummy’s bandages for the purpose.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 1, 2026

We got South Africa, Canada, Egypt and Cape Verde advancing to the knockout rounds for the first time while South Korea and Uruguay went home.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 28, 2026

Iran seemed to have secured an automatic spot in the knockout stage at the end of the Egypt match when Shoja Khalilzadeh slammed a loose ball into the net in stoppage time.

From BBC • Jun. 27, 2026

In Seattle's Ballard district, a drag queen was wielding a microphone and putting on a show ahead of the World Cup meeting of Iran and Egypt.

From Barron's • Jun. 27, 2026

Egyptian mathematics was famed throughout the Mediterranean, and it is likely that the early Greek mathematicians, masters of geometry like Thales and Pythagoras, studied in Egypt.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife