Mekong

American  

[mey-kong, ma-kohng] / ˈmeɪˈkɒŋ, mæˈkoʊŋ /

noun

1. a river whose source is in SW China, flowing SE along most of the boundary between Thailand and Laos to the South China Sea. 2,600 miles (4,200 km) long.

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Mekong British  

/ ˌmiːˈkɒŋ /

noun

1. a river in SE Asia, rising in SW China in Qinghai province: flows southeast forming the border between Laos and Myanmar, and part of the border between Laos and Thailand, then continues south across Cambodia and Vietnam to the South China Sea by an extensive delta, one of the greatest rice-growing areas in Asia. Length: about 4025 km (2500 miles)

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Example Sentences

In September 2023, a passenger boat, which travelled on the same river corridor between Huay Xai and Luang Prabang, capsized in the Mekong in Pakbeng district, resulting in three deaths.

From BBC • Dec. 22, 2025

A year after that first meeting, in 2003, Johnson and Sothea founded Sovann Komar, which means “Golden Children” in Khmer, a gilded home for children on the banks of the Mekong River.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 8, 2025

That means they are also imperiling some of the world’s most important food-producing lowlands in the Nile and Mekong deltas and cities from Shanghai to New York.

From Salon • Jul. 28, 2025

He commanded a Swift boat on the Mekong Delta for four months in 1969, earning a Silver Star, a Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 11, 2024

On December 23, Ellsberg flew by helicopter to the Mekong Delta, south of Saigon.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin