barchan UK /ˈbɑːk(ə)n/US /ˈbɑɹˌkɑn/ noun[before a noun]1 •An arc-shaped shifting sand dune comprising well-sorted (uniformly sized) sand.Perhaps the most distinctive is the barchan dune, an isolated crescentic form with arms that stretch downwind. Barchans are not huge, often with heights of only a few meters. — 2010 formsbarchans