Rafah

geographical name

Ra·​fah ˈrä-fə How to pronounce Rafah (audio)
town divided by the border between Asia (the Gaza Strip) and Africa (the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt) population 139,000 for Palestinian-administered Rafah; 31,500 for Egyptian Rafah

Note: In 217 b.c., Ptolemy IV Philopater of Egypt defeated the Seleucid king Antiochus the Great here. From 1967 to 1982, Rafah was entirely within Israeli-occupied territory.

Dictionary Entries Near Rafah

Cite this Entry

“Rafah.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Rafah. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!