altiplano
noun
al·ti·pla·no
ˌal-ti-ˈplä-(ˌ)nō 
plural altiplanos
: a high plateau or plain : tableland
Examples of altiplano in a Sentence
a cold wind from the Andes swept across the altiplano
Recent Examples on the Web
In the Chilean altiplano above 12,000 feet, Meiburg spends one of the coldest nights of his life in a sleeping bag on the edge of a salt lagoon, staking out mountain caracaras known for working in groups to flip over heavy flat stones in search of edible creatures.
—
Paul Kvinta, Outside Online, 2 Apr. 2021
The landscape changed around me; condensing from plains, desert, and mountains into the jungles of Central America, then unfolding in reverse, into the expanse of the altiplano.
—J.r. Patterson, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Feb. 2022
Which is why Steve Ruff, a planetary scientist at Arizona State University and a key player in the Home Plate analysis, traveled thousands of miles to El Tatio, a series of hot springs in the rare air of Chile’s altiplano.
—Jeffrey Marlow, Discover Magazine, 28 Nov. 2016
The world's largest salt flat covers 4,000 square miles of Bolivian altiplano.
—Anne Olivia Bauso, Travel + Leisure, 8 Dec. 2021
The terminal at El Alto International Airport may not have the best design or the most punctilious construction standards, but in the freezing predawn of this high plateau—the Andean altiplano—one could weep with gratitude that it is heated.
—Alma Guillermoprieto, The New York Review of Books, 3 Dec. 2020
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Paul Kvinta, Outside Online, 2 Apr. 2021
The landscape changed around me; condensing from plains, desert, and mountains into the jungles of Central America, then unfolding in reverse, into the expanse of the altiplano.
—J.r. Patterson, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Feb. 2022
Which is why Steve Ruff, a planetary scientist at Arizona State University and a key player in the Home Plate analysis, traveled thousands of miles to El Tatio, a series of hot springs in the rare air of Chile’s altiplano.
—Jeffrey Marlow, Discover Magazine, 28 Nov. 2016
The world's largest salt flat covers 4,000 square miles of Bolivian altiplano.
—Anne Olivia Bauso, Travel + Leisure, 8 Dec. 2021
The terminal at El Alto International Airport may not have the best design or the most punctilious construction standards, but in the freezing predawn of this high plateau—the Andean altiplano—one could weep with gratitude that it is heated.
—Alma Guillermoprieto, The New York Review of Books, 3 Dec. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Altiplano.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/altiplano. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share