the area around the eastern Mediterranean; from Turkey to northern Africa and eastward to Iran; the site of such ancient civilizations as Phoenicia and Babylon and Egypt and the birthplace of Judaism and Christianity and Islam; had continuous economic and political turmoil in the 20th century; "the Middle East is the cradle of Western civilization"
a mechanical device in a camera that controls size of aperture of the lens; "the new cameras adjust the diaphragm automatically"
electro-acoustic transducer that vibrates to receive or produce sound waves
a contraceptive device consisting of a flexible dome-shaped cup made of rubber or plastic; it is filled with spermicide and fitted over the uterine cervix
(anatomy) a muscular partition separating the abdominal and thoracic cavities; functions in respiration
igneous rock produced by eruption and solidified on or near the earth's surface; rhyolite or andesite or basalt; "volcanic rock includes the volcanic glass obsidian"
explosively unstable; "a volcanic temper"
relating to or produced by or consisting of volcanoes; "volcanic steam"; "volcanic islands such as Iceland"; "a volcanic cone is a conical mountain or hill built up of material from volcanic eruptions"
occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure; "grew the usual vegetables"; "the usual summer heat"; "came at the usual time"; "the child's usual bedtime"