Shangri-La

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A place or land of complete bliss, delight, and peace, especially one seen as an escape from ordinary life; a paradise.
  2. An opulent building or resort that provides entertainment or luxurious living.
name
  1. Former name of Camp David.
noun
  1. Alternative letter-case form of Shangri-La.

Pronunciation

/ˌʃæŋɡɹɪˈlɑː/ en-au-Shangri-La.ogg

Word forms

Shangri-La Shangri-Las

Etymology

From a fictional place described in the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by British author James Hilton (1900–1954): see the quotation below. A Tibetan origin has been suggested, from ཞང (zhang, “name of a district of Ü-Tsang”) + རི (ri, “mountain”) + ལ (la, “pass”), therefore meaning "Mountain Pass of Zhang District".

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