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

Singapore is the world's top bunkering hub due to its strategic location along the Strait of Malacca, having a well-developed infrastructure and access to refineries.

From Barron's • Nov. 24, 2025

MarineTraffic, a ship-tracking website, showed that the USS Nimitz's last location was in the Malacca Strait heading towards Singapore early on Tuesday.

From BBC • Jun. 17, 2025

Last month, four people were rescued after a Malaysian coast guard helicopter crashed in the Strait of Malacca.

From New York Times • Apr. 23, 2024

The base on the Gulf of Thailand could give China better access to the strategically important Malacca Strait nearby.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 7, 2024

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