Malacca

American  

[muh-lak-uh, -lah-kuh] / məˈlæk ə, -ˈlɑ kə /

noun

1. a state in Malaysia, on the SW Malay Peninsula: formerly a part of the British Straits Settlements and of the Federation of Malaya. 640 sq. mi. (1,658 sq. km).

2. a seaport in and the capital of this state.

3. Strait of, a strait between Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula. 35–185 miles (56–298 km) wide.

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malacca ¹ British  

/ məˈlækə /

noun

1. the stem of the rattan palm

2. a walking stick made from this stem

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Malacca ² British  

/ məˈlækə /

noun

1. a state of SW Peninsular Malaysia: rubber plantations. Capital: Malacca. Pop: 635 791 (2000). Area: 1683 sq km (650 sq miles)

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Other Word Forms

• Malaccan adjective

Example Sentences

After ships pass through the narrow Malacca Strait, the relatively calm seas provide an ideal spot to move oil between vessels.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

Only the Strait of Malacca between Malaysia and Indonesia has a bigger average — 23.2 million barrels per day.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026

Naval blockade means for other critical international waterways, like the Strait of Malacca in Asia, Gan said.

From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026

The floods, which were caused by a rare cyclone that had formed over the Malacca Strait, have hit three provinces and impacted some 1.4 million people, according to the government's disaster agency.

From BBC • Dec. 1, 2025

We sailed from Madras across the Bay of Bengal, down through the Strait of Malacca, around Singapore and up to Manila.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel