nile

nile — noun

1. a major waterway of northeastern Africa that begins in Uganda at Lake Victoria a

1.nounA2
Definition

a major waterway of northeastern Africa that begins in Uganda at Lake Victoria and travels roughly 6,650 km across Sudan and Egypt before reaching the Mediterranean Sea; measured from end to end it holds the record as the planet's longest river

Example

Asher stood on a bridge above the Nile, watching the sunset behind old temples.

the + [river name] with a daily scene

The fertile valley of the Nile has supported farming communities for thousands of years.

collocation: fertile valley of the Nile

Common collocations
  • the Nile
  • the Nile River
  • the River Nile
  • banks of the Nile
  • valley of the Nile
  • Nile Delta
  • source of the Nile

Grammar Patterns

the + Nile

Common Mistakes

Nile is the longest river in the world.
The Nile is the longest river in the world.
the river's name always takes the definite article 'the'.

Etymology

Ancient GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The English name 'Nile' came through French (Nil) and Latin (Nilus) from Ancient Greek Νεῖλος (Neîlos). The Greek name itself may go back to a Semitic word meaning 'river valley' (related to Hebrew נַחַל, nāḥāl) or possibly to an early Egyptian word for water. The ancient Egyptians called the river Iteru, meaning 'great river'.