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Definition of yantai
yantai
/ˌjɑːnˈtaɪ/
Yan · tai
yantai Lexical Profile
CEFR
C2
Grade
11
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A major prefecture-level port city in northeastern Shandong province, China, situated along the Bohai Strait and the Yellow Sea, historically significant for its maritime trade and currently renowned for its fishing industry, apple orchards, and wine production.
Example
"During our tour of Shandong province, we visited Yantai to explore its beautiful coastline and sample its famous local wines."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for yantai• Rhymes for yantai
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Mandarin Chinese 烟台 (Yāntái), literally meaning 'smoke tower' or 'beacon tower'. The name refers to the watchtowers constructed on Mount Qi in 1398 during the Ming dynasty to signal warnings against approaching pirate fleets. It was historically known in Western contexts as Chefoo.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Yantai. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 15, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/yantai