Rubʿ al Khali

[ Arabic roob ahl khah-lee; English roob al kah-lee ]

/ Arabic ˌrʊb ɑl ˈxɑ li; English ˌrʊb æl ˈkɑ li /

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noun

a desert in southern Arabia, north of Hadhramaut and extending from Yemen to Oman. About 250,000 sq. mi. (647,500 sq. km).

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Also called Ar Ri·mal

[ahr ri-mahl], /ˌɑr rɪˈmɑl/, Dah·na

[dah-nuh, -huh-nuh], /ˈdɑ nə, -hə nə/, Emp·ty Quar·ter, Great Sand·y Des·ert .

Words nearby Rubʿ al Khali

rub, rubaboo, rub-a-dub, rubáiyát, Rubaiyat stanza, Rubʿ al Khali, rub along, Rubarth's disease, rubasse, rubato, rubber

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use Rubʿ al Khali in a sentence

The influential al Qaeda propagandist, who was born in New Mexico, died in a U.S. drone strike later that year.
France Kills Charlie Hebdo Murderers|Nico Hines|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The al Qaeda-linked gunmen shot back, but only managed to injure one officer before they were taken out.
France Kills Charlie Hebdo Murderers|Nico Hines|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
According to a Yemeni intelligence source, Saïd met with the notorious U.S. preacher Anwar al Awlaki.
France Kills Charlie Hebdo Murderers|Nico Hines|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Two witnesses outside the Charlie Hebdo office building quoted the Kouachi brothers claiming they were members of al Qaeda.
France Mourns—and Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

There is a particular focus in the magazine on attacking the United States, which al Qaeda calls a top target.
U.S. Spies See Al Qaeda Fingerprints on Paris Massacre|Shane Harris, Nancy A. Youssef|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And, old ink pot, tuck a horse blanket under my chin, and rub me down with brickbats while I feed!
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
Others again put the varnish on and rub it off in places to resemble the wear of age.
Violins and Violin Makers|Joseph Pearce
But indeed, it was useless to rub her eyes, the dwarfs did not vanish, and so she was obliged to believe that they were real.
Honey-Bee|Anatole France
She would put her paws on his shoulders, and rub his face, and purr in a most contented manner.
The Nursery, January 1873, Vol. XIII.|Various
When the exact sense was lost, the suffix -al seemed to be adjectival, and the word dismal became at last an adjective.
Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 (of 7) -- Romaunt of the Rose; Minor Poems|Geoffrey Chaucer

British Dictionary definitions for Rubʿ al Khali

Rub` al Khali

/ (ˈrʊb æl ˈkɑːlɪ) /

noun

a desert in S Arabia, mainly in Saudi Arabia, extending southeast from Nejd to Hadramaut and northeast from Yemen to the United Arab Emirates. Area: about 777 000 sq km (300 000 sq miles)English names: Great Sandy Desert, Empty Quarter Also called: Ar Rimal

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012