Meroe

M3E1R1O1E1
US/ˈmɛɹəweɪ/US/ˈmɛɹoʊweɪ/

proper noun

An ancient city on the east bank of the Nile.

OriginAncient Greek Μερόη ← xmr 𐦨𐦡𐦷𐦡𐦥𐦢 →
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Meanings

proper noun

alternative Meroë

  1. An ancient city on the east bank of the Nile.

    The ultimate origins of iron in east Africa, then, must remain conjectural, though a spread from Meroe up the Nile to the Lake Victoria region is the most plausable route at the moment, and Meroic furnaces and tool styles are similar to those in East Africa.

    1981, Thomas T. Spear, Kenya's past: an introduction to historical method in Africa, →ISBN, page 19

Origin

  1. xmr𐦨𐦡𐦷𐦡𐦥𐦢
  2. Ancient GreekΜερόη
  3. EnglishMeroe

From Ancient Greek Μερόη (Meróē), from Meroitic 𐦨𐦡𐦷𐦡𐦥𐦢 (medewi /⁠məɾəwi⁠/), 𐦦𐦡𐦷𐦡𐦥𐦢 (bedewi /⁠bəɾəwi⁠/). Possibly related to Old Nubian ⲙⲓⲇⲇ (midd, “to be ready”) (also ⲙⲉⲇⲇ (medd) or ⲙⲉⲣⲁ (mera)), hence meaning “alert”.

More words from Ancient Greek, xmr

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek Μερόη
  • Μερόη (Meróē)ancient city
Czech Meroe
  • Meroeancient city
Greek Μερόη
  • Μερόη (Merói)ancient city
Portuguese Meroé
  • Meroéancient city

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Moree
Cite this entry
APA

Meroe. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Meroe

MLA

“Meroe.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Meroe. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Meroe,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Meroe.

Source: Meroe on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.