Karoo
or Kar·roo
[ kuh-roo ]
/ kəˈru /
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noun, plural ka·roos for 2.
a vast plateau in the Republic of South Africa, in Cape of Good Hope province. 100,000 square miles (260,000 square kilometers); 3000–4000 feet (900–1200 meters) above sea level.
(lowercase) an arid South African tableland with red clay soil.
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Origin of Karoo
First recorded in 1785–90; from Afrikaans kar(r)oo, from Khoikhoi; compare Xhaeruh, Phaeruh placename recorded in 1689, Nama garo “parched, dry, arid,” !garo-b “desolate waste”
Words nearby Karoo
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for Karoo
British Dictionary definitions for Karoo
Karoo
Karroo
/ (kəˈruː) /
noun plural -roos (often not capital)
any of several high arid plateaus in South Africa, esp the Central Karoo and the Little Karoo. The highveld, north of the Central Karoo, is sometimes called the Northern Karoo
a period or rock system in Southern Africa equivalent to the period or system extending from the Upper Carboniferous to the Lower Jurassic: divided into Lower and Upper Karoo
adjective
of, denoting, or formed in the Karoo period
Word Origin for Karoo
C18: from Afrikaans karo, probably from Khoikhoi garo desert
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Scientific definitions for Karoo
karoo
A semiarid plateau. The most well-known karoos cover nearly 400,000 sq km (156,000 sq mi) of southern Africa. Karoos are terrace shaped and characterized by low scrub vegetation.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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