peninsula

American  

[puh-nin-suh-luh, -nins-yuh-luh] / pəˈnɪn sə lə, -ˈnɪns yə lə /

noun

1. an area of land almost completely surrounded by water except for an isthmus connecting it with the mainland.

2. the Peninsula,

   1. Spain and Portugal together; Iberian Peninsula; Iberia.

   2. a district in SE Virginia between the York and James rivers: Civil War battles.

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peninsula ¹ British  

/ pɪˈnɪnsjʊlə /

noun

1. a narrow strip of land projecting into a sea or lake from the mainland

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Peninsula ² British  

noun

1. short for the Iberian Peninsula

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peninsula Scientific  

/ pə-nĭn′syə-lə /

1. A piece of land that projects into a body of water and is connected with a larger landmass.

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peninsula Cultural  

1. A body of land enclosed on three sides by water, jutting out from a larger body of land.

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Usage

The noun peninsula is sometimes confused with the adjective peninsular: the Iberian peninsula (not peninsular )

Other Word Forms

• peninsular adjective
• peninsularism noun
• peninsularity noun
• transpeninsular adjective

Etymology

Origin of peninsula

1530–40; < Latin paenīnsula, equivalent to paen- pen- + īnsula island

Example Sentences

He’s rendered the Ka‘ena peninsula from the perspective of the ocean, so that the land is reaching out to the viewer. On the shore, so small that you might miss them, are three people. “

From Literature

He was still asleep when the boat butted against the rocks of the sphinxes’ peninsula.

From Literature

Someone instructs you to tear off pieces and dip them in the accompanying guava and plantain chutneys, silky chickpea curry and punchy pepper jelly, pooled around a peninsula of tangy cultured butter.

From The Wall Street Journal

It swallowed up the entire peninsula, and when it was gone, South Florida had been entirely erased from the map.

From Literature

Any civilian involvement would be "a serious crime that threatens peace on the Korean peninsula", he warned.

From Barron's