xian
noun
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xian
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Xian
Xiannouna city in and the capital of Shaanxi province, in central China: capital of the ancient Chinese Empire.
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Xi'an
Xi'announan industrial city in central China, capital of Shaanxi province: capital of China for 970 years at various times between the 3rd century bc and the 10th century ad ; seat of the Northwestern University (1937); famous for Qin dynasty emperor Qinshihuang's tomb (207 bc ) with 8000-strong terracotta army. Pop: 3 256 000 (2005 est)
xian
1 American
[shyahn]
/ ʃyɑn /
noun
Xian
2
American
[shee-ahn]
/ ˈʃiˈɑn /
(Older Spellings)
Sian
or
Xi'an
noun
Pinyin.
Xi'an
British
/ ʃjɑːn /
noun
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Short-haul transport of methanol from Iran to the rest of the Persian Gulf; crew change in Dubai,” said one advertisement posted this month by a ship management company in the city of Xi’an recruiting seafarers.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
Loud chanting and cheering rang around the room in the western Chinese city of Xi'an.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
"We used to have more than a dozen people in our team. Now I reckon maybe four to five people are sufficient," the veteran seller from Xi'an said.
From Barron's • Feb. 14, 2026
The team applied this approach in two major Chinese cities, Guangzhou and Xi'an.
From Science Daily • Jan. 12, 2026
Originating from Xi’an, China, they’re called biang biang noodles because of the sound of the dough being slapped against the counter when the chef makes them.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 13, 2024
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
