Atacama Desert: Meaning and Definition of

A'ta•ca'ma Des'ert

Pronunciation: (at'u-kam'u, at"-, ä'tu-kä'mu, ä"tu- Sp. ä"tä-kä'mä), [key]
  1. an arid region in N Chile: rich nitrate deposits. ab. 600 mi. (960 km) long; ab. 70,000 sq. mi. (181,300 sq. km).
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.