Himalayas

[ him-uh-ley-uhz, hi-mahl-yuhz ]

plural noun

1. the Himalayas, a mountain range extending about 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) along the border between India and Tibet. Highest peak, Mt. Everest, 29,028 feet (8,848 meters).

Himalayas

/ hɪˈmɑːljəz; ˌhɪməˈleɪəz /

plural noun

1. the Himalayas
   a vast mountain system in S Asia, extending 2400 km (1500 miles) from Kashmir (west) to Assam (east), between the valleys of the Rivers Indus and Brahmaputra: covers most of Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, and the S edge of Tibet; the highest range in the world, with several peaks over 7500 m (25 000 ft). Highest peak: Mount Everest, 8848 m (29 028 ft)

Himalayas

1. Mountain range in Asia , extending east through Pakistan , India , China ( Tibet ), Nepal , and Bhutan.

Notes

The Himalayas contain the world's highest mountains, including Mount Everest .

Other Words From

• Hima·layan adjective
• sub-Him·a·layan adjective
• trans-Him·a·layan adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Himalayas¹

First recorded in 1835–40; from Sanskrit Himālaya, equivalent to hima “snow” + ālaya “dwelling, abode” + -s ³( def )

Example Sentences

The rise of Tibet and the Himalayas along its southern fringes are enduring riddles that SinoProbe II data might be able to crack, says Simon Klemperer, a geophysicist at Stanford University.

From Science Magazine

Red pandas are native to the eastern Himalayas and south western China but have become an endangered species, mainly due to habitat loss, human interference and poaching.

From BBC

A British climber who went missing in the Himalayas has spoken of her relief after surviving for two days in "brutal" conditions that put her life in danger.

From BBC

Pressure from the collision of the Indian and the Eurasian plates 40-50 million years ago formed the Himalayas and plate tectonics remains the major reason for their continued rise.

From BBC

There are thousands of glaciers and glacial lakes in the Himalayas – but very few in the Everest region are monitored and have early flood warning systems installed.

From BBC

Related Words

• sierra