38th parallel

American  

[thur-tee-eytth par-uh-lel, par-uh-luhl, thur-tee-eyth] / ˈθɜr tiˌeɪtθ ˈpær əˌlɛl, ˈpær ə ləl, ˈθɜr tiˌeɪθ /

Or 38th Parallel

noun

1. the line of latitude 38 degrees North (38° N), in East Asia, which roughly marks the border between North Korea and South Korea: set by the U.S. in 1945 as a military boundary, three years before these countries were officially established.

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Etymology

Origin of 38th parallel

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

MacArthur then pushed his luck, sending his army across the 38th parallel and racing toward the Yalu River.

From Literature

MacArthur's replacement, General Matthew Ridgway, managed to turn the tide against the enemy, with both sides settling once again along the 38th parallel.

From Literature

After the service, as the remaining worshippers gathered outside the church, news whipsawed through the crowd that North Korean troops had crossed the 38th parallel.

From Literature

After Japan's defeat in 1945, control of the Korean Peninsula split down the middle, at the 38th parallel, a line that cut the nation neatly in half.

From Literature

On June 25, 1950, North Koreans swept across the 38th parallel in a surprise attack on South Korea.

From Textbooks