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barchan

American  
[bahr-kahn] / bɑrˈkɑn /

noun

  1. a crescent-shaped sand dune with the convex side in the direction of the wind.

barchan British  
/ bɑːˈkɑːn /

noun

  1. a crescent-shaped shifting sand dune, convex on the windward side and steeper and concave on the leeward

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of barchan

1885–90; < Russian barkhán, said to be < Turkic

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.

Parabolic dune shape is similar to barchan dunes but usually reversed, and it is determined more by the anchoring vegetation than a strict parabolic form.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2017

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.