ISLAND

island

(noun) a zone or area resembling an island

island

(noun) a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

island (plural islands)

A contiguous area of land, smaller than a continent, totally surrounded by water.

An entity surrounded by other entities that are very different from itself.

A superstructure on an aircraft carrier's deck.

A traffic island.

(government) An unincorporated area wholly surrounded by one or more incorporated areas.

(grammar) A phrase from which a wh-word cannot be extracted without yielding invalid grammar.

Synonyms

• (land surrounded by water): ait, holm

• (an entity surrounded by other very different entities): oasis

Verb

island (third-person singular simple present islands, present participle islanding, simple past and past participle islanded)

(transitive) To surround with water; make into an island.

(transitive) To set, dot (as if) with islands.

(transitive) To isolate.

• A. E. Housman, A Shropshire Lad, XXVII, lines 1-2

Synonyms

• isle

Anagrams

• Ladins, Landis, ilands

Proper noun

the Island

(in New York City) Long Island (in New York State)

(in British Columbia) Vancouver Island

(UK, colloquial) HM Prison Parkhurst, a prison on the Isle of Wight.

Anagrams

• Ladins, Landis, ilands

Source: Wiktionary


Is"land, n. Etym: [OE. iland, yland, AS. igland, , ; ig, , island + land, lond, land. AS. ig, , is akin to AS. eá water, river, OHG. , G. au meadow, Icel. ey island, Dan. & Sw. ö, Goth. ahwa a stream, water, L. aqua water. The s is due to confusion with isle. Cf. Ait, Eyot, Ewer, Aquatic.]

1. A tract of land surrounded by water, and smaller than a continent. Cf. Continent.

2. Anything regarded as resembling an island; as, an island of ice.

3. (Zoöl.)

Definition: See Isle, n., 2. Islands of the blessed (Myth.), islands supposed to lie in the Western Ocean, where the favorites of the gods are conveyed at death, and dwell in everlasting joy.

Is"land, v. t.

1. To cause to become or to resemble an island; to make an island or islands of; to isle. Shelley.

2. To furnish with an island or with islands; as, to island the deep. Southey.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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