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Basra

American

[buhs-ruh, bahs-rah] / ˈbʌs rə, ˈbɑs rɑ /

Also Busrah.

noun

a port in SE Iraq, N of the Persian Gulf.

Basra British

/ ˈbʌsrə, ˈbæzrə /

noun

a port in SE Iraq, on the Shatt-al-Arab. Pop: 1 187 000 (2005 est)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A few days before the war began, Chevron said it was entering exclusive talks with Iraq’s Basra Oil for a stake in one of the world’s largest onshore oil fields, West Qurna 2.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

The British sent tens of thousands of troops, which focused on Basra and southern Iraq, including an armored division.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

The two tankers were set ablaze near Iraq's southern port of Basra, forcing a pause of operations at the country's oil terminals.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

Iraq host the United Arab Emirates in Basra after the first leg of the Asian decider finished 1-1 last Thursday in Abu Dhabi.

From Barron's • Nov. 16, 2025

Rabe’a al-Adiwiyah, a great woman saint of Sufism, was seen running through the streets of her hometown, Basra, carrying a torch in one hand and a bucket of water in the other.

From "Looking for Alaska" by John Green

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023