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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Timbuktu

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026

FLA spokesman Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane told AFP on Wednesday that the rebels intend to take control of Gao, Timbuktu and Menaka following their success in Kidal.

From Barron's ● Apr. 29, 2026

Meanwhile, according to Keita, the director of Mali Tourism, about 100 Russian tourists visited for the biennial in Timbuktu.

From Barron's ● Jan. 29, 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

For an instant I felt a pang, picturing myself in Tokyo or Timbuktu, craving one of my aunts peach pies.

From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney