Paektu

P3A1E1K5T1U1
/pækˈtuː//pɛkˈtuː/

proper noun

A mountain on the border between Jilin, China and Ryanggang Province, North Korea.

Scrabble 12

Meanings

proper noun

alternative Baekdu

  1. A mountain on the border between Jilin, China and Ryanggang Province, North Korea.
    3 more examples

    The land border is 636 miles long (1,025 km), most of it with China but the last 11 miles of it at the eastern end, with Russia. The border follows two rivers, the westward-flowing Yalu and the east-flowing Tumen, both of which arise from springs on the slopes of Mount Paektu, the sacred peak that is part of the "Ever-white Mountains" on the northeastern border.

    2000, Donald N. Clark, “The Story of the Korean People”, in Culture and Customs of Korea, →ISBN, →ISSN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 6

    The Tuman and Yalu rivers dividing Korea and China source from one mountain, Mt Paektu. This volcanic mass of frozen lava smashed out from the wide, elevated planes of dense forest and bogs surrounding it over a million years ago, and has a powerful spiritual symbolism for the Korean people, as indicated in the local tourist literature:[...]Paektu is the backdrop for many of the almighty mosaics and paintings seen across Korea, and its significance for all Koreans is evinced by the dominance of South Koreans in the thriving tourist industry on the Chinese side of the mountain.

    2008, Robert Willoughby, “Mt Paektu”, in North Korea (Bradt Travel Guides), 2nd edition, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 197

    Article 169. The national emblem of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea bears the design of a grand hydroelectric power station under Mt. Paektu, the sacred mountain of the revolution, and the beaming light of a five-pointed red star, with ears of rice forming an oval frame, bound with a red ribbon bearing the inscription “The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.”

    2017, Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Pyongyang: Foreign Languages Publishing House, →ISBN, →OCLC, pages 36–37

    Synonyms: Baitou, Changbai, Ch'ang-pai

Synonyms & antonyms

proper nounA mountain on the border between Jilin, China and Ryanggang Province, North Korea.

Origin

  1. Korean백두(白頭)
  2. EnglishPaektu

From Korean 백두(白頭) (Baekdu).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 長白山 /长白山, 白頭山 /白头山
  • 長白山 /长白山 (Chángbáishán)mountain
  • 白頭山 /白头山 (Báitóushán)mountain
Japanese 長白山, 白頭山
  • 長白山 (Chōhakusan)mountain
  • 白頭山 (Hakutōsan)mountain
Korean 백두산, 장백산
  • 백두산 (Baekdusan)mountain
  • 장백산 (Jangbaeksan)mountain
Polish Pektu-san
  • Pektu-sanmountain

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

Paektu. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Paektu

MLA

“Paektu.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Paektu. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Paektu,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Paektu.

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