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Nile

American  
[nahyl] / naɪl /

noun

  1. a river in E Africa, the longest in the world, flowing N from Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean. 3,473 miles (5,592 km) long; from the headwaters of the Kagera River, 4,000 miles (6,440 km) long.


Nile British  
/ naɪl /

noun

  1. a river in Africa, rising in S central Burundi in its remotest headstream, the Luvironza: flows into Lake Victoria and leaves the lake as the Victoria Nile , flowing to Lake Albert, which is drained by the Albert Nile , becoming the White Nile at Lake No , then flowing through South Sudan; joined by its chief tributary, the Blue Nile (which rises near Lake Tana, Ethiopia) at Khartoum, and flows north to its delta on the Mediterranean; the longest river in the world. Length: (from the source of the Luvironza to the Mediterranean) 6741 km (4187 miles)

"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.

Nile Rodgers said it was the "greatest honour" to present Williams with the award, saying the artist had "changed my life".

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

Still, threats remain: Rat poison, electrocution on power lines, lead poisoning, West Nile virus and avian flu top the list.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

Playing property tycoon Nile Jarvis, Rhys said that he "stole" some of the character's traits from Sir Anthony Hopkins' Oscar-winning performance in The Silence of The Lambs.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026

The Nile runs through the middle of Egypt, feeding nearly every one of its 100 million people.

From Slate • Feb. 25, 2026

Like trees and lemon vanishing cream, and Nu Nile Hair Oil and flecks of Sen-Sen.

From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison