himalaya

noun

the, a mountain range extending about 1500 miles (2400 km) along the border between India and Tibet. Highest peak, Mt. Everest, 29,028 feet (8848 meters).

pl n

the Himalayas a vast mountain system in S Asia, extending 2400 km (1500 miles) from Kashmir (west) to Assam (east), between the valleys of the Rivers Indus and Brahmaputra: covers most of Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, and the S edge of Tibet; the highest range in the world, with several peaks over 7500 m (25 000 ft). Highest peak: Mount Everest, 8848 m (29 028 ft)

from Sanskrit himalayah, literally “abode of snow,” from hima “snow” (see hibernation) + alaya “abode.” Related: Himalayas; Himalayan.

Mountain range in Asia, extending east through Pakistan, India, China (Tibet), Nepal, and Bhutan.