Sumatra

[ soo-mah-truh ]

/ sʊˈmɑ trə /

noun

a large island in the W part of Indonesia. 164,147 sq. mi. (425,141 sq. km).

Related formsSu·ma·tran, adjective, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sumatra

The foundation has worked to protect tigers from extinction in Nepal, rainforests in Sumatra, and endangered sharks.
Leonardo DiCaprio’s Big Christie’s Auction Brings in $38.8 Million|Isabel Wilkinson|May 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The Sumatra quake, which killed hundreds of thousands of people Indonesia, was an 8.8.
Hurricane Sandy Will Be Dwarfed by an Earthquake|Winston Ross|November 5, 2012|DAILY BEAST
After filming Amélie I went on a holiday to Sumatra, and I was interested in studying orangutans.
Audrey Tautou on ‘Amélie,’ Her New Film ‘Delicacy,’ & More|Marlow Stern|March 18, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The arts in general are carried among these people to a greater degree of perfection than by the other natives of Sumatra.
The History of Sumatra|William Marsden

Some fresh intelligence, which arrived from Sumatra, increased the disorders and consternation of the town.
The Works of John Dryden, Volume XVI. (of 18)|John Dryden
Report on a small collection of parasitic Hymenoptera from Java and Sumatra.
The Biotic Associations of Cockroaches|Louis M. Roth
Qualla Battoo is the name of a small Malay town, which stood on the northwestern coast of Sumatra.
Dewey and Other Naval Commanders|Edward S. Ellis
In Sumatra the best camphor is obtained in a district called Barus, and all good camphor bears that local name.
The Commercial Products of the Vegetable Kingdom|P. L. Simmonds

British Dictionary definitions for sumatra

Sumatra

/ (sʊˈmɑːtrə) /

noun

a mountainous island in W Indonesia, in the Greater Sunda Islands, separated from the Malay Peninsula by the Strait of Malacca: Dutch control began in the 16th century; joined Indonesia in 1945. Northern coastal areas, esp Aceh province, suffered devastation as a result of the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004. Pop: 42 409 510 (2000). Area: 473 606 sq km (182 821 sq miles)Indonesian spellling: Sumatera

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

Culture definitions for sumatra

Sumatra

[ (soo-mah-truh) ]

Island in Indonesia in the Indian Ocean northwest of Java and west of Malaysia.

Note

Though much of the island is covered by swampland and impenetrable rain forest, Sumatra's industries — including oil, coal, gold, silver, rubber, timber, and tobacco — produce over half of Indonesia's income.