[pur-zhuh, -shuh] Pronunciation Key | 1. | Also called Persian Empire. an ancient empire located in W and SW Asia: at its height it extended from Egypt and the Aegean to India; conquered by Alexander the Great 334–331 b.c. |
| 2. | former official name (until 1935) of Iran. |
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Per·sia
(pûr'zhə, -shə) Pronunciation Key
|
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
| persia | |
noun | |
| 1. | an empire in southern Asia created by Cyrus the Great in the 6th century BC and destroyed by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC |
| 2. | a theocratic Islamic republic in the Middle East in western Asia; Iran was the core of the ancient empire that was known as Persia until 1935; rich in oil [syn: Iran] |
Persia, IA (city, FIPS 62445) Location: 41.57900 N, 95.57013 W
Population (1990): 312 (133 housing units)
Area: 1.2 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 51563
Persia
an ancient empire, extending from the Indus to Thrace, and from the Caspian Sea to the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. The Persians were originally a Medic tribe which settled in Persia, on the eastern side of the Persian Gulf. They were Aryans, their language belonging to the eastern division of the Indo-European group. One of their chiefs, Teispes, conquered Elam in the time of the decay of the Assyrian Empire, and established himself in the district of Anzan. His descendants branched off into two lines, one line ruling in Anzan, while the other remained in Persia. Cyrus II., king of Anzan, finally united the divided power, conquered Media, Lydia, and Babylonia, and carried his arms into the far East. His son, Cambyses, added Egypt to the empire, which, however, fell to pieces after his death. It was reconquered and thoroughly organized by Darius, the son of Hystaspes, whose dominions extended from India to the Danube.
Persia
Persia, that cuts or divides; a nail; a gryphon; a horseman
Copyright © 2008, Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
