What does "taklamakan" mean?
A cold desert in the Xinjiang autonomous region, China, the largest desert entirely contained in China.
Taklamakan
name
name ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A cold desert in the Xinjiang autonomous region, China, the largest desert entirely contained in China.
- Grammar: taklamakan is listed as name.
- Nearest alternatives: arid expanse, desert, dry region, sand sea.
- Useful contrasts: fertile land, lush region.
- Usage evidence: The Taklamakan, an authentic Uyghur restaurant, is conveniently located next to the Munich train station.
How to use "taklamakan"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "taklamakan" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
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- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
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Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "taklamakan" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "taklamakan" is acting as name in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "arid expanse" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
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Final meaning check
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Definitions
Proper Noun
- 1 A cold desert in the Xinjiang autonomous region, China, the largest desert entirely contained in China.
"Surrounding the Taklamakan on three sides are some of the highest mountain ranges in the world, with the Gobi desert blocking the fourth. Thus even the approaches to it are dangerous. Many travellers have perished on the icy passes which lead down to it from Tibet, Kashmir, Afghanistan and Russia, either by freezing to death or by missing their foothold and hurtling into a ravine below. In one disaster, in the winter of 1839, an entire caravan of forty men was wiped out by an avalanche, and even now men and beasts are lost each year. No traveller has a good word to say for the Taklamakan. Sven Hedin, one of the few Europeans to have crossed it, called it ‘the worst and most dangerous desert in the world’. Stein, who came to know it even better, considered the deserts of Arabia 'tame' by comparison. Sir Percy Sykes, the geographer, and one-time British Consul-General at Kashgar, called it 'a Land of Death', while his sister Ella, herself a veteran desert traveller, described it as 'a very abomination of desolation'. Apart from the more obvious perils, such as losing one’s way and dying of thirst, the Taklamakan has special horrors to inflict on those who trespass there. In his book Buried Treasures of Chinese Turkestan, von Le Coq describes the nightmare of being caught in that terror of all caravans, the kara-buran, or black hurricane."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
fertile landlush region
Example
"The Taklamakan, an authentic Uyghur restaurant, is conveniently located next to the Munich train station."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "taklamakan"?
Common synonyms include: arid expanse, desert, dry region, sand sea.
How do you use "taklamakan" in a sentence?
The Taklamakan, an authentic Uyghur restaurant, is conveniently located next to the Munich train station.
Etymology
Most researchers agree that the second part is derived from Persian مکان (makân, “place”), from Arabic مَكَان (makān). The etymology of Takla is less clear, however. It may be related to Uyghur تەرك (terk, “abandonment”), from Arabic تَرْك (tark). Other possibilities exist.