Sumatra

[ soo-mah-truh ]

/ sʊˈmɑ trə /

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noun

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

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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OTHER WORDS FROM Sumatra

Su·ma·tran, adjective, noun

Words nearby Sumatra

Sulzberger, sum, sumac, sumach, sum and substance, Sumatra, Sumatra camphor, Sumatran, Sumatran elephant, Sumba, Sumbawa

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Sumatra in a sentence

The only thing that could have pushed the corals so high was the magnitude-8 earthquake that struck Sumatra that year.
What can ‘silent earthquakes’ teach us about the next Big One?|JoAnna Wendel|November 11, 2021|Science News For Students
Mallick and his team, for instance, discovered the 200-year-old slow-slip event near Sumatra by reading the growth patterns in old corals.
What can ‘silent earthquakes’ teach us about the next Big One?|JoAnna Wendel|November 11, 2021|Science News For Students
In some corals along the coast of the island of Simeulue, near Sumatra, Mallick and his colleagues noticed the corals showed odd growth patterns.
What can ‘silent earthquakes’ teach us about the next Big One?|JoAnna Wendel|November 11, 2021|Science News For Students
An early modern human presence in Sumatra 73,000-63,000 years ago.
The Human Family Tree, It Turns Out, Is Complicated - Issue 102: Hidden Truths|Razib Khan|June 30, 2021|Nautilus

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
I don't suppose he lies;—he sells it to the editor, who knows how many squares off "Sumatra" is.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
Sumatra tobacco is one of the finest varieties cultivated, and commands in European markets the very highest prices.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
To our left lay a number of mountainous islands, which completely intercepted our view of Sumatra.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
In Sumatra some of the finest tobacco in the world is produced which has an established reputation in European markets.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
Contrasted with these islands lie another group of three—Borneo, Sumatra, and Java.
The Complete Club Book for Women|Caroline French Benton

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.