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

Example Sentences

Authorities made 13 arrests related to the syndicate in the Indonesian cities of Pontianak and Tangerang this week, and rescued six babies who were about to be trafficked – all of whom are around a year old.

From BBC

"The babies were first housed in Pontianak and had their immigration documents arranged before being sent to Singapore," West Java Police's director of general criminal investigation, Surawan, told BBC News Indonesia.

From BBC

After being taken from their mothers, the babies were given to caretakers for two to three months before being sent to Jakarta and then Pontianak, where their birth certificates, passports, and documents were prepared, police said.

From BBC

She invited me to visit the site, and after two days and nights of travel that landed me in West Kalimantan’s capital, Pontianak, followed by a flight to Ketapang, a jarring truck ride, and a six-hour hike with two river crossings, I reached the Cabang Panti Research Station in the west-central section of the park.

From National Geographic

After bouncing around various sites in Indonesia, in 2016 I found myself in Pontianak, a prison camp for asylum seekers.

From BBC