Uyghur

[ wee-goor ]

noun

, plural Uy·ghurs, (especially collectively) Uy·ghur.

1. a member of a predominantly Muslim Turkic-speaking people, dominant in Mongolia and eastern Turkestan from the 8th to 12th centuries a.d., and now living in northwestern China, mainly in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
2. the Turkic language of the Uyghurs.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Uyghurs or their language.

Other Words From

• Uy·ghu·ri·an [wee-, goor, -ee-, uh, n], Uy·ghu·ric adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Uyghur¹

First recorded in 1840–45; from Uyghur; a self-designation of the Uyghur people

Example Sentences

A Uyghur worker at a Hoshine factory in Xinjiang, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said he voluntarily came to work at the company but faces restrictions.

From Washington Post

Rights abuses in Xinjiang have warped every aspect of Uyghur life.

From MIT Technology Review

Aksu’s experiences are typical of many in the Uyghur diaspora, both those who left China long ago and who fled more recently to make a new life, away from persecution.

From MIT Technology Review

Researchers identified an attack in which hackers posing as the UN Human Rights Council send a document detailing human rights violations to Uyghur individuals.

From MIT Technology Review

For the past seven years, China has committed human rights abuses against the Uyghur people and other minority groups in the Western province of Xinjiang.

From MIT Technology Review