Atacama Desert

American  

[at-uh-kam-uh, ah-tuh-kah-muh dez-ert, ah-tah-kah-mah] / ˌæt əˈkæm ə, ˌɑ təˈkɑ mə ˈdɛz ərt, ˌɑ tɑˈkɑ mɑ /

noun

1. an arid region in N Chile: rich nitrate deposits. About 600 miles (960 km) long; about 70,000 sq. mi. (181,300 sq. km).

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Atacama Desert British  

/ ataˈkama /

noun

1. a desert region along the W coast of South America, mainly in N Chile: a major source of nitrates. Area: about 80 000 sq km (31 000 sq miles)

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Example Sentences

"We don't want the Atacama Desert to be famous as a tourist attraction where visitors can see mountains of clothes," he says.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

An international team led by the University of Cologne studied tiny soil worms known as nematodes in Chile's Atacama Desert.

From Science Daily • Mar. 2, 2026

He hiked copper royalties and set a high bar for mine expansion in the ore-rich but water-starved Atacama Desert.

From Barron's • Dec. 17, 2025

The scene takes place in the Atacama Desert in Chile, one of the planet’s oldest and driest deserts.

From New York Times • Jun. 3, 2024

In the parched Atacama Desert, the Chinchorro created history’s first mummies.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann