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• pontianak
  pontianak

  noun

  jelutong.
• Pontianak
  Pontianak

  noun

  a seaport on W Kalimantan (Borneo), in central Indonesia.

pontianak

¹ American  

[pon-tee-ah-nahk] / ˌpɒn tiˈɑ nɑk /

noun

1. jelutong.

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Pontianak ² American  

[pon-tee-ah-nahk] / ˌpɒn tiˈɑ nɑk /

noun

1. a seaport on W Kalimantan (Borneo), in central Indonesia.

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Pontianak ¹ British  

/ ˌpɒntɪˈɑːnæk /

noun

1. a port in Indonesia, on W coast of Borneo almost exactly on the equator. Pop: 464 534 (2000)

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pontianak ² British  

/ ˌpɒntɪˈɑːnæk /

noun

1. (in Malay folklore) a female vampire; the ghost of a woman who has died in childbirth

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Etymology

Origin of pontianak

First recorded in 1910–15; originally, jelutong from the region around Pontianak

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pontianak Pontianak

If it’s difficult to get a sense of the fears that initially inspired tales of the toyol or the pontianak, Folklore reminds us that ancient fears don’t necessarily have modern solutions.

From Slate ● Feb. 1, 2019

For Yonas, deputy head of the Lintang Batang hamlet outside Pontianak, the priority is firefighting equipment.

From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026

Once procured, the infants were taken to a house in Pontianak where they were taken care of by hired nannies.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

Similar protests occurred in other cities, including Bandung, Yogyakarta, Makassar and Pontianak.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 11, 2022

She is cast in a movie as the Pontianak: a mythological, cannibalistic beauty, created when a deformed girl makes a deal with a shaman to become beautiful.

From The Guardian ● Apr. 19, 2018

There were in the area that is now Dutch Borneo several independent Malay Sultans, of which the principal had their capitals at Pontianak, Banjermasin, and Kotei.

From The Pagan Tribes of Borneo by Alfred C. (Alfred Cort) Haddon

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