shantytown

[ shan-tee-toun ]

/ ˈʃæn tiˌtaʊn /

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noun

a section, as of a city or town characterized by shanties and crudely built houses.

a whole town or city that is chiefly made up of shantylike houses.

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Origin of shantytown

First recorded in 1880–85; shanty¹ + town

Words nearby shantytown

shantey, shanti, Shantou, Shantung, shanty, shantytown, Shanxi, Shaoxing, Shaoyang, shape, shaped

How to use shantytown in a sentence

How we choose to respond to favelas, shantytowns, and refugee camps over the next few years will define the political and cultural attitudes that determine their long-term future.
Rio de Janeiro is making a digital map of one of Brazil’s largest favelas|Fábio Duarte, Carlo Ratti, Washington Fajardo|April 28, 2021|MIT Technology Review
Births and migrations are concentrated in the developing world, and with the exception of China, most new urban fabric is informal—more shantytowns than skyscrapers.
Rio de Janeiro is making a digital map of one of Brazil’s largest favelas|Fábio Duarte, Carlo Ratti, Washington Fajardo|April 28, 2021|MIT Technology Review
The smells waft through the shantytown of tents and tires known as the Maidan, the main square in Kiev.
My Walk Through Kiev's Maidan Square|Miranda Frum|April 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Shantytown, a crime novella first published in 1998, is the latest.
This Week’s Hot Reads: Nov. 18, 2013|Thomas Flynn|November 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Shantytown succeeds both as a compelling modern noir and a revealing depiction of life in the third world.
This Week’s Hot Reads: Nov. 18, 2013|Thomas Flynn|November 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST
In Shantytown, the titular slum of Buenos Aires is the backdrop for a series of killings that threaten the entire community.
This Week’s Hot Reads: Nov. 18, 2013|Thomas Flynn|November 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST
From a distance, the area looks like a colorful tent and cardboard shantytown.
Stimulus Dollars for Sex Offenders?|Gerald Posner|September 4, 2009|DAILY BEAST
He acted like the goats you see up in Shantytown, an' looked a good deal like Skip Jellison in the face.
Teddy and Carrots|James Otis
He got back in his car and peeled across the road to the shantytown and the guesthouse.
Makers|Cory Doctorow
Suzanne walked them through the shantytown, watching their reactions closely.
Makers|Cory Doctorow
They got in the car and drove across the road to the shantytown.
Makers|Cory Doctorow
They made it in the shantytown and fortified it with fruits, like a Belgian beer.
Makers|Cory Doctorow

British Dictionary definitions for shantytown

shantytown

/ (ˈʃæntɪˌtaʊn) /

noun

a town or section of a town or city inhabited by very poor people living in shanties, esp in a developing country

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