xian
noun
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xian
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Xian
Xiannouna city in and the capital of Shaanxi province, in central China: capital of the ancient Chinese Empire.
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Xi'an
Xi'announan industrial city in central China, capital of Shaanxi province: capital of China for 970 years at various times between the 3rd century bc and the 10th century ad ; seat of the Northwestern University (1937); famous for Qin dynasty emperor Qinshihuang's tomb (207 bc ) with 8000-strong terracotta army. Pop: 3 256 000 (2005 est)
xian
1 American
[shyahn]
/ ʃjɑn /
noun
Xian
2
American
[shee-ahn]
/ ˈʃiˈɑn /
(Older Spellings)
Sian
or
Xi'an
noun
Pinyin.
Xi'an
British
/ ʃjɑːn /
noun
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.
See Examples For:
The honeyed, minerally aromatics of lao xian weng, also called Eternity, will dazzle even the most well-versed tea lover.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2022
One other point to remember: All Chinese cooks value a characteristic known as xian.
From Washington Post ● May 15, 2018
The key to quality Sichuan cooking, notes Dunlop, is not to drown out the dish’s essential xian with red chile oil, ginger, garlic, pickled chiles or any other pungent ingredient.
From Washington Post ● May 15, 2018
Hand-pulled string noodles, called mian xian in Mandarin, have been made for around 2,000 years.
From BBC ● Jan. 13, 2014
The Northern Chinese restaurant is known for its meat-and-vegetable-stuffed pies known as xian bing as well as its savory pancakes, beef rolls and six-layer minced “homeland meat cake.”
From Los Angeles Times
The owners, Lin Wang, 46, and Xian Wang, 48, both of San Jose, were arrested Sept. 10, as was Rui Wang, 42, described as a managing employee.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
As BNP Paribas analyst Xian Siew put it, investor expectations had “come down meaningfully” since the last earnings report, given higher fuel prices and worries about profitability.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 30, 2026
“The expansion of US budget deficits, which has seen the government buy more goods and services, is largely responsible for this healthy profits situation,” Xian wrote.
From Barron's ● Apr. 15, 2026
Indonesia’s external trade momentum is expected to have eased in the fourth quarter as the effects of frontloaded demand fade, RHB economist Wong Xian Yong said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 19, 2025
The card allotted to Gissing was marked, in Mr. Poodle's neat script, Friendly, but vague as to definite participation in Xian activities.
From Where the Blue Begins by Christopher Morley
Rail infrastructure links Tehran to the Chinese cities of Yiwu and Xi’an.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026
"We used to have more than a dozen people in our team. Now I reckon maybe four to five people are sufficient," the veteran seller from Xi'an said.
From Barron's ● Feb. 14, 2026
The team applied this approach in two major Chinese cities, Guangzhou and Xi'an.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 12, 2026
In July 2024, China and Russia flew Xi’an H-6 and Tu-95 Bear long-range bombers, respectively, on a joint patrol off the coast of Alaska.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 18, 2025
His maximums came at September's English Open and October's Xi'an Grand Prix, events with £5,000 high-break prizes and no bonuses.
From BBC ● Dec. 2, 2025
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