| 1. | an agricultural region extending from the Levant to Iraq. |
| 2. | an area in the Middle and Near East: formerly fertile, now partly desert. |
Fer·tile Crescent  (fŭr'tl)  A region of the Middle East arching across the northern part of the Syrian Desert and extending from the Nile Valley to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The civilizations of Egypt, Phoenicia, Assyria, and Babylonia developed in this area, which was also the site of numerous migrations and invasions. |