Maracaibo

American  

[mar-uh-kahy-boh, mah-rah-kahy-baw] / ˌmær əˈkaɪ boʊ, ˌmɑ rɑˈkaɪ βɔ /

noun

1. a seaport in northwestern Venezuela.

2. Gulf of Maracaibo. Gulf of Venezuela.

3. Lake Maracaibo, a lake in northwestern Venezuela, an extension of the Gulf of Maracaibo: the largest lake in South America. 6,300 sq. mi. (16,320 sq. km).

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Maracaibo British  

/ maraˈkaiβo, ˌmærəˈkaɪbəʊ /

noun

1. a port in NW Venezuela, on the channel from Lake Maracaibo to the Gulf of Venezuela: the second largest city in the country; University of Zulia (1891); major oil centre. Pop: 2 182 000 (2005 est)

2. a lake in NW Venezuela, linked with the Gulf of Venezuela by a dredged channel: centre of the Venezuelan and South American oil industry. Area: about 13 000 sq km (500 sq miles)

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Maracaibo

CABIMAS, Venezuela—An oil gusher discovered more than 100 years ago gave birth to Venezuela’s energy industry near this once-booming city on the shores of Lake Maracaibo.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

One of his childhood heroes was Hall of Fame shortstop Luis Aparicio, another Maracaibo native whose success in the U.S. inspired him.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

In June, the company signed an agreement to explore a field in Lake Maracaibo, the birthplace of Venezuela's oil industry.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

Much of Venezuela’s oil industry is in disrepair, like this broken oil pipeline over Lake Maracaibo.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 15, 2026

“The ships will be moving again soon,” my father said confidently, and he was right I think it was February 21 that some of die Chinese sailors agreed to sail to Lake Maracaibo.

From "The Cay" by Theodore Taylor

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