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Definition of shantou
shantou
/ˌʃænˈtoʊ/
Shan · tou
shantou Lexical Profile
CEFR
C1
Grade
9
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A major prefecture-level coastal city in eastern Guangdong province, China, historically known as a prominent treaty port and one of the country's original Special Economic Zones.
Example
"During our tour of southern China, we visited the vibrant port city of Shantou to learn about its history as a Special Economic Zone."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for shantou• Rhymes for shantou
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Mandarin Chinese 汕头 (Shàntóu), which translates to 'swatow' or 'bamboo fish trap head/point', historically romanized as Swatow.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Shantou. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/shantou