Near Eastn.
/ˌnɪər ˈiːst/, U.S. /ˈnɪr ˈist/ The region comprising the countries of the eastern Mediterranean, formerly also sometimes including those of the Balkan peninsula, south-west Asia, or North Africa. Cf. Far East n., Middle East n.The region defined by Near East is imprecise, allowing for some overlap with Middle East.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > named regions of earth > Near East, Middle East, and Asia Minor > [noun] > Near East
Levant1601
Near East1856
Nearer East1891
1856 Fraser's Mag. Nov. 574 The Far East—in contradistinction to the Near East—for the integrity of which we went to war with Russia—contains a population of six hundred millions of people, or perhaps more.
1894 G. N. Curzon Probl. Far East i. 9 In the Near East population is sparse and inadequate.
1910 Chambers's Jrnl. Dec. 800/1 In the Near East the keynote of cookery is disguise. The Turk brings his oriental love of mystery with him to the dinner-table.
1920 Sat. Rev. 16 Oct. 320 He took very little notice of Balkan intrigues, because the Near East was not his business.
1936 Discovery Sept. 264/1 The Wellcome Archaeological Expedition to the Near East.
1973 ‘D. Jordan’ Nile Green xliv. 283 Sue..told the Near East Desk, who..sent a cable to the Cairo Embassy.
2001 Nature 24 May 437/1 This Ugaritic shekel..can be inter-related with all other weight systems in the Near East and the Mediterranean.
Derivatives
Near-ˈEasterly adv. rare
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1909 Daily Chron. 25 Aug. 3/6 Near-Easterly. Bosnia and Herzegovina have figured recently in European politics.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1856