Saipan

S1A1I1P3A1N1
/saɪˈpæn/

proper noun

An island, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Less commonScrabble 8

Meanings

proper noun
  1. An island, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands.
    1 more example

    Theſe Iſlands were diſcovered by Magellan in the year 1521 ; and by the account given of the two he firſt fell in with, it ſhould ſeem that they were the Iſlands of Saypan and Tinian ; for they are deſcribed in his expedition as very beautiful Iſlands, and as lying between 15 and 16 degrees of North latitude. Theſe characteriſtics are particularly applicable to the two above mentioned places ; for the pleaſing appearance of Tinian hath occaſioned the Spaniards to give it the additional name of Buenaviſta ; and Saypan, which is in the latitude of 15° : 22' North, affords no contemptible proſpedt when ſeen from the ſea, as may be ſufficiently evinced from the annexed view of its North Weſt ſide, taken at three leagues diſtance.

    [1748, Richard Walter, A Voyage Round the World, in the Years MDCCXL, I, II, III, IV. by George Anson, Eſq; Commander in Chief of a Squadron of His Majeſty's Ships, ſent upon an Expedition to the South-Seas., London: J. and P. Knapton, →OCLC, page 337

Origin

  1. ChamorroSaipan
  2. EnglishSaipan

From Chamorro Saipan. A folk etymology connects it with the Carolinian for “empty place”.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 塞班
  • 塞班 (Sàibān)island
Japanese サイパン, 彩帆
  • サイパンisland
  • 彩帆island

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

Saipan. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Saipan

MLA

“Saipan.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Saipan. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Saipan,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Saipan.

Source: Saipan on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.