Euphrates
pronunciation
How to pronounce Euphrates in British English:
UK [ju:ˈfreiti:z]
How to pronounce Euphrates in American English:
US [juˈfretiz]
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- Noun:
- a river in southwestern Asia; flows into the Persian Gulf; was important in the development of several great civilizations in ancient Mesopotamia
Word Origin
- Euphrates
- Mesopotamian river, arising in Armenia and flowing to the Persian Gulf, Old English Eufrate, from Greek Euphrates, from Old Persian Ufratu, perhaps from Avestan huperethuua "good to cross over," from hu- "good" + peretu- "ford." But Kent says "probably a popular etymologizing in O.P. of a local non-Iranian name" ["Old Persian," p.176]. In Akkadian, purattu. Related: Euphratean.
Example
- 1. The euphrates , once broad and endlessly green , is now narrow and drab .
- 2. From the palace , the group headed through the hectic open market and down a dusty dirt road to the euphrates .
- 3. Recently , the water ministry announced that turkey had doubled the water flow into the euphrates , salvaging the planting phase of the rice season in some areas .
- 4. I was in turkey , wading in the euphrates , taping a show about the garden of eden , when linda proposed that one of our girls be named eden .
- 5. Usually upstream countries dominate control of a river like the tigris and euphrates which are much reduced by the time they flow into iraq from turkey and syria .