Taklamakan

American  

[tah-kluh-muh-kahn] / ˌtɑ klə məˈkɑn /

Or Taklimakan

noun

1. a desert in south central Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, in China. About 125,000 sq. mi. (323,750 sq. km).

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Etymology

Origin of Taklamakan

First recorded in 1895–1900; of uncertain origin: perhaps from Turkic taqlar makan “place of ruins”; perhaps from Uyghur Takla, from Persian tark “to abandon” + Persian makan “place”; some Chinese scholars connect Taklamakan and Tocharian ( def. )

Example Sentences

To avoid conflict and visa restrictions he took a short flight from Armenia to Kazakhstan where he continued to climb the Pamir mountain ranges to China, not only overcoming the challenges of altitude but suspicious local police as he crossed the Taklamakan and Gobi deserts.

From BBC

China's nuclear weapon tests usually take place domestically and it previously test-fired ICBMs west into the Taklamakan Desert in the Xinjiang region.

From BBC

Among the most well-preserved are the Tarim mummies of Xinjiang, China, who were buried in boat-shaped coffins up to 4,000 years ago in the Taklamakan Desert.

From National Geographic

Maxar identified the location as Ruoqiang, a Taklamakan Desert county in the northwestern Xinjiang region.

From Washington Times

Maxar identified the location of the features as Ruoqiang, a Taklamakan Desert county in the northwestern Xinjiang region.

From Seattle Times