Great Lakes

American  

plural noun

1. a series of five lakes between the United States and Canada, comprising Lakes Erie, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, and Superior; connected with the Atlantic Ocean by the St. Lawrence River.

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Great Lakes British  

plural noun

1. a group of five lakes in central North America with connecting waterways: the largest group of lakes in the world: consists of Lakes Superior, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, which are divided by the border between the US and Canada and Lake Michigan, which is wholly in the US; constitutes the most important system of inland waterways in the world, discharging through the St Lawrence into the Atlantic. Total length: 3767 km (2340 miles). Area: 246 490 sq km (95 170 sq miles)

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Great Lakes Cultural  

1. Group of five large freshwater bodies in central North America. They include, west to east, Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario. Except for Lake Michigan, which is entirely within the United States, the Great Lakes serve as borders between the United States and Canada.

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Major shipping route through the St. Lawrence River to the Atlantic Ocean.

Example Sentences

Natural-gas prices have jumped 63% this week in response to forecasts calling for some of the coldest, snowiest weather in years to freeze the country from the West Texas desert to the Great Lakes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

Great Lakes Cheese Co. did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment Wednesday.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 3, 2025

These findings show that the Five Great Forests are closely tied to forest regions in the Appalachians, the Mississippi Delta, the Great Lakes, New England, and the landscapes surrounding New York City.

From Science Daily • Nov. 22, 2025

Record-cold temperatures and heavy snow have also hit the Great Lakes region in the Midwest, adding to the delays.

From BBC • Nov. 11, 2025

A ship did leave in the morning and I could see why they called Lake Erie one of the Great Lakes.

From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson