Meaning & Definition of word "Levant"

Levant

/lɪˈvænt/

noun:

  • 1. A historical region in the eastern Mediterranean, including modern-day Lebanon, Syria, and parts of Israel and Palestine.
    • Example: The Levant has been a crossroads of various civilizations for centuries.
  • 2. The countries and regions of the eastern Mediterranean, especially in relation to trade and cultural exchange.
    • Example: During the Renaissance, merchants from Europe sought to expand their trade in the Levant.

verb:

  • 1. To rise or lift up, often used in the context of something that lifts or rises.
    • Example: The sails levant as the wind filled them.
  • 2. To make something rise or to abandon a place.
    • Example: The fisherman decided to levant his boat early in the morning.

Etymology

From Middle French 'lever' meaning to rise or to lift.

Common Phrases and Expressions

levant in the night:

to leave quietly, often without informing others

levant with the wind:

to leave suddenly, taking advantage of circumstances

Related Words

abscond:

to leave hurriedly and secretly, typically to avoid detection or arrest

fugitive:

a person who has escaped from a place or is in hiding

Slang Meanings of levant

Meaning: to skip town

Example Sentence: He was in debt, so he decided to levant and skip town.

Meaning: to ghost someone

Example Sentence: She just levant on her friends without a word.