Hyksos

[ hik-sohs, -sos ]

noun

1. a nomadic people who conquered and ruled ancient Egypt between the 13th and 18th dynasties, c1700–1580 b.c.: believed to have been a Semitic people that originally migrated into Egypt from Asia.

Hyksos

/ ˈhɪksɒs /

noun

1. a member of a nomadic Asian people, probably Semites, who controlled Egypt from 1720 bc until 1560 bc

Word History and Origins

Origin of Hyksos¹

1595–1605; < Greek Hyksṓs, perhaps < Egyptian ḥg ( ʾ ) ruler + h̬ʾst foreign land

Word History and Origins

Origin of Hyksos¹

from Greek Huksōs name of ruling dynasty in Egypt, from Egyptian hq's'sw ruler of the lands of the nomads

Example Sentences

Ahmose I was the king who conquered Avaris and defeated the Hyksos.

From New York Times

But their brutal tradition of maiming criminals and adversaries predates the Hyksos by more than a millennium.

From New York Times

In the tomb of an army officer named Ahmose, son of Ibana, a narrative describes how after each skirmish with the Hyksos at Avaris and Sharuhen, he reported his new haul of enemy hands to the pharaoh, who rewarded him with the Gold of Valor.

From New York Times

At the time, Egypt’s eastern Nile Delta was controlled by a dynasty called the Hyksos, which means “rulers of foreign countries.”

From New York Times

A recent study published in the journal Nature proposes that the Hyksos had a custom known as the Gold of Valor, which involved taking the hands of enemy combatants as war trophies.

From New York Times