(or Cush), the ancient name for a region of what is now part of the Sudan, in Africa, and for two powerful kingdoms that extended their influence into Egypt; first kingdom of Kush raided Upper Egypt in about 1650 BC; destroyed by Egyptian Pharoah Amenhotep; new kingdom appeared about 750 BC; conquered all Egypt about 715 BC and founded 25th dynasty of ancient Egypt, with capital at Memphis; driven out by Assyrians under Ashurbanipal in 663 BC; Egypt destroyed the Cushite capital in 590 BC, but the kingdom survived another 900 years.