Himalayas

[him-uh-ley-uhz, hi-mahl-yuhz]

plural noun

1. the Himalayas, a mountain range extending about 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) along the border between India and Tibet. Highest peak, Mt. Everest, 29,028 feet (8,848 meters).

Himalayas

/ hɪˈmɑːljəz, ˌhɪməˈleɪəz /

plural noun

1. a vast mountain system in S Asia, extending 2400 km (1500 miles) from Kashmir (west) to Assam (east), between the valleys of the Rivers Indus and Brahmaputra: covers most of Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, and the S edge of Tibet; the highest range in the world, with several peaks over 7500 m (25 000 ft). Highest peak: Mount Everest, 8848 m (29 028 ft)

Himalayas

1. Mountain range in Asia, extending east through Pakistan, India, China (Tibet), Nepal, and Bhutan.

The Himalayas contain the world's highest mountains, including Mount Everest.

Other Word Forms

• Himalayan adjective
• sub-Himalayan adjective
• trans-Himalayan adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Himalayas¹

First recorded in 1835–40; from Sanskrit Himālaya, equivalent to hima “snow” + ālaya “dwelling, abode” + -s ³ ( def. )

Example Sentences

Not everyone who hikes the Himalayas aims for the tallest summits.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Four Chinese officials have been dismissed over a fireworks display in the Himalayas last month by outdoor apparel brand Arc'teryx that drew heated criticism.

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Greenland is melting, the Alps are melting and the Himalayas are melting -- yet in one vast mountain region, huge glaciers have remained stable, or even gained mass, in recent decades.

Read more on Barron's

The warmer air is pushing the clouds higher, which means these weather systems are now able to cross the Himalayas and reach Tibet and other areas that did not see so much rain before.

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One trekker, who had visited the Himalayas more than a dozen times, told the BBC he had "never experienced weather like this".

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Related Words

• sierra