Medes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The ancient Iranian people who inhabited the region of Media in what is now western Iran, known for their empire and conflicts with the Persians ; robes or garments worn by people of the ancient Near East
2. An ancient people dwelling in Media, in what is now Iran, whose empire rose to prominence before the Persian dominance ; cloaks or long robes characteristic of ancient Near Eastern dress
3. The historical people of Media in western Asia, famous for their powerful kingdom and role in ancient history ; long draped garments or mantles worn in antiquity

Etymology: "Medes" is the plural of "Mede," a native of Media, the ancient region of northwestern Iran. The name came into English from Latin "Medus," which in turn was borrowed from Greek "Mêdos." The Greeks used the name for the people who lived in that region, and the Latin form carried it into the European languages that later inherited Classical learning. The Greek word is the older link in the chain, and it is the source of the country's name in English as well: the territory was known to the Greeks as Media, so the people and the land share one root. In English the plural is the form most readers meet, usually in the Bible and in histories of the Persian empire, where the Medes and the Persians appear together as neighbouring peoples.