Tonkin

[ ton-kin, tong- ]

noun
  1. a former state in northern French Indochina, now part of Vietnam.

  2. Gulf of Tonkin, an arm of the South China Sea, west of Hainan. 300 miles (485 km) long.

  • Also Tong·king [tong-king], /ˈtɒŋˈkɪŋ/, Ton·king [ton-king, tong-] /ˈtɒnˈkɪŋ, ˈtɒŋ-/ .

Words Nearby Tonkin

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Tonkin in a sentence

  • His appeal had no immediate result, and he then prepared to return to Tonkin, but he received an order to go elsewhere.

    The Jesuits, 1534-1921 | Thomas J. Campbell
  • He set sail again, but was driven ashore on the Island of Formosa and never reached Tonkin.

    The Jesuits, 1534-1921 | Thomas J. Campbell
  • You have disapproved a small expedition to Tonkin and we are a little more serious than the Tonkinese.

    A Fantasy of Far Japan | Baron Kencho Suyematsu
  • In the cup, Tonkin coffee is thought by French traders to compare favorably with Mocha.

    All About Coffee | William H. Ukers
  • From the mountain-tops which formed their original kingdom they have penetrated into Tonkin, Annam and the region of the lakes.

British Dictionary definitions for Tonkin

Tonkin

Tongking (ˈtɒŋˈkɪŋ)

/ (ˈtɒnˈkɪn) /


noun
  1. a former state of N French Indochina (1883–1946), on the Gulf of Tonkin: forms the largest part of N Vietnam

  2. Gulf of Tonkin an arm of the South China Sea, bordered by N Vietnam, the Leizhou Peninsula of SW China, and Hainan Island. Length: about 500 km (300 miles)

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