Mesopotamia

M3E1S1O1P3O1T1A1M3I1A1
/mɛ.sə.pəˈteɪ.mɪ.ə/

proper noun

A geographic region in southwest Asia, spanning from the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, located in modern Iraq, eastern Syria, and southeast Turkey; the site of one of the most ancient civilizations in the history of man.

OriginLatin Mesopotamia ← Ancient Greek Μεσοποταμίᾱ (Mesopotamíā) ← Proto-Indo-European *peth₂-der.? →
Less commonScrabble 17
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Meanings

proper noun
  1. historyA geographic region in southwest Asia, spanning from the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, located in modern Iraq, eastern Syria, and southeast Turkey; the site of one of the most ancient civilizations in the history of man.

    Variously associated with qualities ranging from warding off evil to promoting fertility, the open hand of the hamsa is thought to have originated in Mesopotamia and is recognized the world over.

    2020 November 25, Tanya Dukes, “Gilt-y Pleasures: Holiday Gift Ideas for the Jewelry Lover”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 25 Jun 2021
    1 more example

    It was purchased by the Isle of Wight Railway in 1882, and continued to work between Brading and Bembridge until 1917, when it was taken over by the War Department, and sent overseas for war service in Mesopotamia, whence it never returned. It survived until at least 1921, when it was observed on the quayside at Basra.

    1948 July and August, K. Westcott Jones, “The Isle of Wight Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 217
  2. historyA former province of the Roman Empire, existing from 116 to 117 AD and again from 198 to 637 AD.
  3. historyThe Mandate for Mesopotamia, a League of Nations mandate from 1920 to 1932, entrusted to the United Kingdom, that was the precursor to the independent state of Iraq.
  4. Numerous modern-day places:
    1. A geographic region in northeast Argentina, between the Paraná and Uruguay rivers.
    2. UKobsoleteslangThe Eaton Square district of London, England.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
babyloniatwo rivers

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*me
  2. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-?
  3. Proto-Indo-European*médʰi
  4. Proto-Indo-European*médʰyos
  5. Proto-Hellenic*métsos
  6. Ancient Greekμέσος (mésos)
  7. Proto-Indo-European*peth₂-der.?
  8. Ancient Greekποταμός (potamós)
  9. Ancient Greekμεσοποτάμῐος (mesopotámĭos)
  10. Ancient GreekΜεσοποταμίᾱ (Mesopotamíā)
  11. LatinMesopotamia
  12. EnglishMesopotamia

From the Classical Latin Mesopotamia, from the Koine Greek Μεσοποταμία (Mesopotamía), a feminine substantive form of the adjective Μεσοποτάμιος (Mesopotámios, “between rivers”), from the Ancient Greek μέσος (mésos, “between”) + ποτᾰμός (potămós, “river”) + -ιος (-ios), so called because Mesopotamia is located between the rivers Euphrates and Tigris. The term is used as a translation of the Biblical Hebrew נַהֲרַיִם (naharáyim), the dual form of נָהָר (nahár, “river”).

More words from Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek Μεσοποταμίᾱ
  • Μεσοποταμίᾱ (Mesopotamíā)region between Euphrates and Tigris
Arabic بِلَادُ الرَّافِدَيْن, بَيْن النَّهْرَيْن
  • بِلَادُ الرَّافِدَيْن (bilādu r-rāfidayn)region between Euphrates and Tigris
  • بَيْن النَّهْرَيْن (bayn an-nahrayn)region between Euphrates and Tigris
Bengali মেসোপটেমিয়া
  • মেসোপটেমিয়া (meśōpṭemiẏa)region between Euphrates and Tigris
Bulgarian Месопота́мия, Междуречие
  • Месопота́мия (Mesopotámija)region between Euphrates and Tigris
  • Междуречие (Meždurečie)region between Euphrates and Tigris
  • Двуречие (Dvurečie)region between Euphrates and Tigris
Catalan Mesopotàmia
  • Mesopotàmiaregion between Euphrates and Tigris
Chinese Mandarin 美索不達米亞 /美索不达米亚, 兩河流域 /两河流域
  • 美索不達米亞 /美索不达米亚 (Měisuǒbùdámǐyà)region between Euphrates and Tigris
  • 兩河流域 /两河流域 (Liǎnghé Liúyù)region between Euphrates and Tigris
Czech Mezopotámie
  • Mezopotámieregion between Euphrates and Tigris
Danish Mesopotamien
  • Mesopotamienregion between Euphrates and Tigris
Dutch Mesopotamië, Tweestromenland
  • Mesopotamiëregion between Euphrates and Tigris
  • Tweestromenlandregion between Euphrates and Tigris
Esperanto Mezopotamio
  • Mezopotamioregion between Euphrates and Tigris
Estonian Mesopotaamia, Kahejõemaa
  • Mesopotaamiaregion between Euphrates and Tigris
  • Kahejõemaaregion between Euphrates and Tigris
Finnish Mesopotamia, Kaksoisvirranmaa
  • Mesopotamiaregion between Euphrates and Tigris
  • Kaksoisvirranmaaregion between Euphrates and Tigris
French Mésopotamie
  • Mésopotamieregion between Euphrates and Tigris
German Mesopotamien, Zweistromland
  • Mesopotamienregion between Euphrates and Tigris
  • Zweistromlandregion between Euphrates and Tigris
Greek Μεσοποταμία
  • Μεσοποταμία (Mesopotamía)region between Euphrates and Tigris
Hawaiian Mekopakamia
  • Mekopakamiaregion between Euphrates and Tigris
Hebrew אֲרַם נַהֲרַיִם, מֵסוֹפּוֹטַמְיָה
  • אֲרַם נַהֲרַיִם (arám naharáim)region between Euphrates and Tigris
  • מֵסוֹפּוֹטַמְיָה (mesopotámya)region between Euphrates and Tigris
Hindi मेसोपोटामिया
  • मेसोपोटामिया (mesopoṭāmiyā)region between Euphrates and Tigris
Hungarian Mezopotámia
  • Mezopotámiaregion between Euphrates and Tigris
Icelandic Mesópótamía, Millifljótaland
  • Mesópótamíaregion between Euphrates and Tigris
  • Millifljótalandregion between Euphrates and Tigris
Indonesian Mesopotamia
  • Mesopotamiaregion between Euphrates and Tigris
Irish an Mheaspatáim
  • an Mheaspatáimregion between Euphrates and Tigris
Japanese メソポタミア
  • メソポタミア (Mesopotamia)region between Euphrates and Tigris
Korean 메소포타미아
  • 메소포타미아 (Mesopotamia)region between Euphrates and Tigris
Latin Mesopotamia
  • Mesopotamiaregion between Euphrates and Tigris
Latvian Divupe
  • Divuperegion between Euphrates and Tigris
Lithuanian Tarpupis
  • Tarpupisregion between Euphrates and Tigris
Persian میانرودان, بینالنهرین
  • میانرودان (miyân-rudân)region between Euphrates and Tigris
  • بینالنهرین (beyn-on-nahreyn)region between Euphrates and Tigris
Polish Mezopotamia
  • Mezopotamiaregion between Euphrates and Tigris
Portuguese Mesopotâmia
  • Mesopotâmiaregion between Euphrates and Tigris
Romanian Mesopotamia
  • Mesopotamiaregion between Euphrates and Tigris
Russian Месопота́мия, Междуре́чье
  • Месопота́мия (Mesopotámija)region between Euphrates and Tigris
  • Междуре́чье (Mežduréčʹje)region between Euphrates and Tigris
Slovak Mezopotámia, Medziriečie
  • Mezopotámiaregion between Euphrates and Tigris
  • Medziriečieregion between Euphrates and Tigris
Spanish Mesopotamia
  • Mesopotamiaregion between Euphrates and Tigris
Swedish Mesopotamien, Tvåflodslandet
  • Mesopotamienregion between Euphrates and Tigris
  • Tvåflodslandetregion between Euphrates and Tigris
Tamil மெசொப்பொத்தேமியா
  • மெசொப்பொத்தேமியா (mecoppottēmiyā)region between Euphrates and Tigris
Thai เมโสโปเตเมีย
  • เมโสโปเตเมีย (may-sŏh-bpoh-dtay-mia)region between Euphrates and Tigris
Turkish Mezopotamya
  • Mezopotamyaregion between Euphrates and Tigris
Ukrainian Месопота́мія, Межирі́ччя
  • Месопота́мія (Mesopotámija)region between Euphrates and Tigris
  • Межирі́ччя (Mežyríččja)region between Euphrates and Tigris
  • Дворіччя (Dvoriččja)region between Euphrates and Tigris
Vietnamese Lưỡng Hà
  • Lưỡng Hàregion between Euphrates and Tigris

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with Mesopotamia

macadamiaframea
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

Mesopotamia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Mesopotamia

MLA

“Mesopotamia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Mesopotamia. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Mesopotamia,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Mesopotamia.

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