| Palestine (def. 1). |
[pal-uh-stahyn for 1, 2; pal-uh-steen for 3] 
| 1. | Also called Holy Land. Biblical name, Canaan. an ancient country in SW Asia, on the E coast of the Mediterranean. |
| 2. | a former British mandate (1923–48) comprising part of this country, divided between Israel, Jordan, and Egypt in 1948: the Jordanian and Egyptian parts were occupied by Israel in 1967. |
| 3. | a city in E Texas. 15,948. |
| Holy Land The biblical region of Palestine. |
Historic region on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, comprising parts of modern Israel, Jordan, and Egypt.
Note: Known as the Holy Land, it is a place of pilgrimage for several religions, including Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.
Note: Israel, the homeland of the Jews, was established in Palestine in 1948. The Palestine Liberation Organization, under Yasir Arafat, is committed to establishing a Palestinian state, which would include territory on the West Bank and Gaza Strip now partially occupied by Israel. (See Arab-Israeli conflict, intifada, Oslo Accord, Palestinian Authority.)
əˌstaɪn