Madeira

American  

[muh-deer-uh, -dair-uh, mah-de-ruh] / məˈdɪər ə, -ˈdɛər ə, mɑˈdɛ rə /

noun

1. a group of eight islands off the NW coast of Africa, part of Portugal. 308 sq. mi. (798 sq. km). Funchal.

2. the chief island of this group. 286 sq. mi. (741 sq. km).

3. (often lowercase) a rich, strong white or amber wine, resembling sherry, made there.

4. (often lowercase) a similar wine made elsewhere.

5. a river in W Brazil flowing NE to the Amazon: chief tributary of the Amazon. 2,100 miles (3,380 km) long.

---

Madeira British  

/ məˈdɪərə, məˈðəirə /

noun

1. a group of volcanic islands in the N Atlantic, west of Morocco: since 1976 an autonomous region of Portugal; consists of the chief island, Madeira, Porto Santo, and the uninhabited Deserta and Selvagen Islands. Capital: Funchal. Pop: 245 012 (2001). Area: 797 sq km (311 sq miles)

2. a river in W Brazil, flowing northeast to the Amazon below Manaus. Length: 3241 km (2013 miles)

3. a rich strong fortified white wine made on Madeira

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Madeira

The police investigation found that the sisters were dropped off by a taxi in Madeira Drive at about 22:20 BST on 12 May.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

The Madeira government had asked the Chester Zoo experts to help with the snail conservation.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

Experts at Chester Zoo said they had to brave treacherous conditions and climb cliffs to return them to their natural home, which is part of the Madeira archipelago in the Atlantic ocean.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

For mains, the grilled rainbow trout with Carolina Gold rice and espelette-citrus beurre blanc was beautifully balanced, while the butternut squash agnolotti with Madeira foam and ricotta offered a rich, comforting counterpoint.

From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026

Mr. Lyte was talking as informally as though he and Mr. Dana were alone together, sitting at a tavern, cracking walnuts, drinking Madeira.

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes