Timbuktu

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˌtɪmbʌkˈtuː/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(tim′buk to̅o̅′, tim buk′to̅o̅)


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
Tim•buk•tu  (tim′buk to̅o̅′, tim buk′to̅o̅),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. Place Namesa town in central Mali, W Africa, near the Niger River. 19,500. French, Tombouctou. 
  2. any faraway place.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
Timbuktu / ˌtɪmbʌkˈtuː/
  1. a town in central Mali, on the River Niger: terminus of a trans-Saharan caravan route; a great Muslim centre (14th–16th centuries). Pop: 35 600 (2009 est)
    French name: Tombouctou
  2. any distant or outlandish place: from here to Timbuktu
'Timbuktu' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Ghana - Songhai - Tombouctou

Forum discussions with the word(s) "Timbuktu" in the title:


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