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• matsu
  matsu

  noun

  a pine, Pinus massoniana, of China, yielding a wood used in furniture-making, the construction of houses, etc.
• Matsu
  Matsu

  noun

  an island off the southeastern coast of China, in the East China Sea: controlled by Taiwan. 17 sq. mi. (44 sq. km).

matsu

¹ American  

[mat-soo] / ˈmæt su /

noun

1. a pine, Pinus massoniana, of China, yielding a wood used in furniture-making, the construction of houses, etc.

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Matsu ² American  

[mat-soo, mat-soo, mah-dzoo] / mætˈsu, ˈmæt su, ˈmɑ dzu /

(Pinyin) Mazu

noun

1. Wade-Giles. an island off the southeastern coast of China, in the East China Sea: controlled by Taiwan. 17 sq. mi. (44 sq. km).

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Matsu British  

/ mætˈsuː /

noun

1. an island group in Formosa Strait, off the SE coast of mainland China: belongs to Taiwan. Pop: 9800 (2007 est). Area: 44 sq km (17 sq miles)

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Etymology

Origin of matsu

1860–65; < Japanese, earlier matu

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Matsu

"Nagi Notes", starring Takako Matsu and Shizuka Ishibashi, explores the overlapping lives of a cast of characters in rural Okayama Prefecture, each lonely in their own way.

From Barron's ● May 13, 2026

The drills, which started early Thursday, are happening all around the main island, including the Taiwan Strait to its west, and around the Taiwanese islands of Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu and Dongyin.

From BBC ● May 22, 2024

Last year, the outlying Matsu islands, within view of the Chinese coast, endured patchy internet for months after two undersea internet cables broke.

From New York Times ● Mar. 14, 2024

Chen now lives in Matsu, a group of Taiwanese-held islands that are closer to China than the island of Taiwan.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 1, 2023

She also now understood why it was commonly said of a Mr. Matsu, who had once been very rich but was now a poor sot, "His property has all gone to the Shōji."

From Japanese Fairy World Stories from the Wonder-Lore of Japan by Ozawa