Other forms: jordans
Jordan is a country in the Middle East, bordered by Israel, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Its capital is Amman and its best known place is Petra, the city carved into rose-red rock.
The name is shared with the River Jordan, which forms part of its western border and has enormous religious significance in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The country's formal name is the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The adjective and the people are Jordanian. Note that Jordan is also a common given name and surname in English, and the two have nothing to do with each other in ordinary use.
1nounjordanA country in the Middle East.
“They spent a week in Jordan and most of it at Petra.”
2nounriverA river running between Jordan, Israel and the West Bank.
“The Jordan is much smaller than its fame suggests.”
Too few real examples of this word to estimate which sense is commonest.
jordan is a country.
Latin
jurdanus
Middle English
jordan
English, today
jordan
From Middle English jordan, from Latin jurdanus, unattested outside of England and of uncertain etymology. Usually derived from a clipped form of Jordan bottle, supposedly a bottle of curative water brought back from the Jordan by Crusaders and pilgrims to the Holy Land, but this seems unsupported in its actual attestations. Its use for chamber pots may derive from the alchemical device having been used to hold urine.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA