Mesopotamia

[ mes-uh-puh-tey-mee-uh ]
/ ˌmɛs ə pəˈteɪ mi ə /

noun

an ancient region in W Asia between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers: now part of Iraq.

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OTHER WORDS FROM Mesopotamia

Mes·o·po·ta·mi·an, adjective, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for mesopotamian

British Dictionary definitions for mesopotamian (1 of 2)

Mesopotamian
/ (ˌmɛsəpəˈteɪmɪən) /

adjective

of or relating to Mesopotamia, a region of SW Asia, or its inhabitants

noun

a native or inhabitant of Mesopotamia

British Dictionary definitions for mesopotamian (2 of 2)

Mesopotamia
/ (ˌmɛsəpəˈteɪmɪə) /

noun

a region of SW Asia between the lower and middle reaches of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers: site of several ancient civilizations

Word Origin for Mesopotamia

Latin from Greek mesopotamia (khora) (the land) between rivers
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 mesopotamian

Mesopotamia
[ (mes-uh-puh-tay-mee-uh) ]

A region of western Asia, in what is now Iraq, known as the “cradle of civilization.” Western writing first developed there, done with sticks on clay tablets. Agricultural organization on a large scale also began in Mesopotamia, along with work in bronze and iron (see Bronze Age and Iron Age). Governmental systems in the region were especially advanced (see Babylon (see also Babylon) and Hammurabi). A number of peoples lived in Mesopotamia, including the Sumerians, Akkadians, Hittites, and Assyrians.

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.