Island Definition & Meaning

American

British

Scientific

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms island American [ahy-luhnd] / ˈaɪ lənd /

noun

1. a tract of land completely surrounded by water, and not large enough to be called a continent.

2. something resembling an island, especially in being isolated or having little or no direct communication with others.

3. a raised platform with a counter or other work surface on top situated in the middle area of a room, especially a kitchen, so as to permit access from all sides.

4. safety island.

5. a low concrete platform for gasoline pumps at an automotive service station.

6. a clump of woodland in a prairie.

7. an isolated hill.

8. Anatomy. an isolated portion of tissue differing in structure from the surrounding tissue.

9. Railroads. a platform or building between sets of tracks.

verb (used with object)

1. to make into an island.

2. to dot with islands.

3. to place on an island; isolate.

island British / ˈaɪlənd /

noun

1. a mass of land that is surrounded by water and is smaller than a continent

2. See traffic island

3. anatomy a part, structure, or group of cells distinct in constitution from its immediate surroundings

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

1. to cause to become an island

2. to intersperse with islands

3. to place on an island; insulate; isolate

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 island Scientific / ī′lənd /

1. A land mass, especially one smaller than a continent, entirely surrounded by water.

Other Word Forms

• island-like adjective
• islandish adjective
• islandless adjective
• islandlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of island

First recorded before 900; Middle English iland, Old English īgland, īland, variant of īegland, from īeg “island” (cognate with Old Norse ey ) + land land; spelling with -s- by association with isle

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

After thousands of women participated in a marathon on the southern island of Kish in early December, many of them without headscarves and in tightfitting sportswear, two of the organizers were detained.

From The Wall Street Journal

Earlier this year, the island nation reached a controversial deal with China in which it offered to let it explore the seafloor around its territory in return for investments in infrastructure and its fishing industry.

From The Wall Street Journal

Taipei said this month that Washington had approved $11 billion in defence sales in what would be one of the largest weapons packages for the island.

From Barron's

A giant iceberg drifting towards a remote island threatened wildlife, reminding us that science is just as vital for spotting danger as it is for making discoveries.

From BBC

In one operation about 35 nautical miles from the small island of Gavdos, off Crete, a coastguard vessel, a Danish freighter and a helicopter took 365 people off a fishing boat, according to the agency.

From Barron's

Related Words

• archipelago
• enclave
• isle
• islet
• peninsula
• reef

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.