Canaan

[ key-nuhn ]

noun

1. an ancient region lying between the Jordan River, the Dead Sea, and the Mediterranean.
2. Biblical name of Palestine.
3. any land of promise.
4. (in the Bible) a descendant of Ham, the son of Noah.

Canaan

/ ˈkeɪnən /

noun

1. an ancient region between the River Jordan and the Mediterranean, corresponding roughly to Israel: the Promised Land of the Israelites

Word History and Origins

Origin of Canaan¹

From the Hebrew word Kenaʿan

Example Sentences

It predates the time of the Biblical King David and King Solomon and is characteristic of the Canaan region on the eastern Mediterranean coast.

From BBC

“Our wreck suggests a seagoing exchange was conducted west out of Syria and Canaan to southern Cyprus, Crete and other Greek lands.”

From New York Times

“He could have been stuck there since Saturday night but no one will know for sure,” North Canaan Animal Control said in a social media post.

From Seattle Times

The architect Philip Johnson covered the small guesthouse on his property in New Canaan, Conn., in Flemish-bond brickwork.

From New York Times

The woman said the shrine was named Canaan and members believed that the world was coming to an end.

From BBC

Related Words

• immortality
• nirvana
• paradise
• Promised Land