levant
n. uncountablen. the historical name for the lands along the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. It usually includes countries like Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Israel.
n. the geographical region comprising the eastern Mediterranean littoral and its hinterland. When capitalised, it refers specifically to the historical and cultural area of the Near East.
The Levant has a rich history of trade and culture.
Archaeologists are studying ancient trade routes that connected the Levant with the Nile Delta.
Scholars often examine the Levant as a crossroads of civilizations, where diverse linguistic and religious traditions have intersected for millennia due to its strategic coastal position.
Borrowed from French levant (“rising, sun's point of rising”), form of lever (“to rise”), from Latin levō (“to rise”) (cf. also the present participle levāns), from levis (“light, not heavy”).
Usually preceded by the definite article 'the'. Always capitalised when referring to the geographical region.