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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).


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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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 • Sep. 25, 2024

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 • Aug. 7, 2023

The Taklamakan loop is hailed by Beijing as a way to help the region, especially Xinjiang’s impoverished southern edge near northern Tibet.

From Washington Times • Oct. 17, 2021

Desert mummies span the globe, from caves in Nevada to ancient Egypt to the Taklamakan desert in China.

From The Verge • Jun. 13, 2017

We found out the caravaneers had enough supplies to cross the Taklamakan.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

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