Ryukyu

[ Japanese ryoo-kyoo; English ree-oo-kyoo ]

noun

1. a chain of Japanese islands in the western Pacific Ocean between Japan and Taiwan. 3,120 square miles (1,205 square kilometers).

Word History and Origins

Origin of Ryukyu¹

First recorded in 1930–45; from Japanese Ryūkyū Shōto “Ryukyu Archipelago”

Example Sentences

The Ryukyu Islands, off the port beam, were not visible in the metallic haze that grew as the sun arched higher.

From Project Gutenberg