Timbuktu

American  

[tim-buhk-too, tim-buhk-too] / ˌtɪm bʌkˈtu, tɪmˈbʌk tu /

noun

1. French Tombouctou. a town in central Mali, W Africa, near the Niger River.

2. any faraway place.

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Timbuktu British  

/ ˌtɪmbʌkˈtuː /

noun

1. French name: Tombouctou. a town in central Mali, on the River Niger: terminus of a trans-Saharan caravan route; a great Muslim centre (14th–16th centuries). Pop: 31 973 (1998)

2. any distant or outlandish place

   from here to Timbuktu

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Timbuktu ¹ Cultural  

1. A remote town in western Africa. Figuratively, it is a faraway and unknown place.

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Timbuktu ² Cultural  

1. City in central Mali, in western Africa, near the Niger River.

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Discover More

By the fourteenth century, it was famous for its gold trade.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Timbuktu

Bakary Sambe, director of the Dakar-based Timbuktu Institute, pointed out that the poor conditions faced by soldiers was used to justify the 2023 coup.

From Barron's ● Aug. 30, 2026

They are now advancing on Timbuktu and seeking to lay siege to the capital of Bamako.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026

The Senegal-based Timbuktu Institute think-tank estimates that 70 to 80% of Africa Corps fighters were formerly in Wagner.

From BBC ● Nov. 25, 2025

Mariam Cissé, said to be in her 20s and with over 100,000 TikTok followers, posted videos about life in her Tonka hometown in the northern Timbuktu region and often expressed support for the army.

From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2025

Whether they were in London, Budapest, or Timbuktu, she was still the children’s governess, after all.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

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