Sumatra

[ soo-mah-truh ]
/ sʊˈmɑ trə /

noun

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

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OTHER WORDS FROM Sumatra

Su·ma·tran, adjective, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for sumatra

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

Cultural definitions for sumatra

Sumatra
[ (soo-mah-truh) ]

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

notes for Sumatra

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.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.