n.
Pronunciation: i- ' rän, - ' ran; ī - ' ran
Variant: or especially formerly Per · sia \ ' p ə r-zh ə , esp Brit -sh ə \
Function: geographical name
country SW Asia bordering in N on Caspian Sea & in S on Persian Gulf & Gulf of Oman; an Islamic republic since 1979, formerly an empire capital Tehran area 635,932 sq mi (1,647,064 sq km ), pop 59,570,000
– Irani \ - ' rä-n ē , - ' ra- \ adjective or noun