archipelago

American  

[ahr-kuh-pel-uh-goh] / ˌɑr kəˈpɛl əˌgoʊ /

noun

plural

archipelagos, archipelagoes

1. a large group or chain of islands.

   the Malay Archipelago.

2. any large body of water with many islands.

3. the Archipelago, the Aegean Sea.

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archipelago British  

/ ˌɑːkɪpəˈleɪdʒɪən, ˌɑːkɪˈpɛlɪˌɡəʊ, ˌɑːkɪpəˈlædʒɪk /

noun

1. a group of islands

2. a sea studded with islands

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archipelago Scientific  

/ är′kə-pĕl′ə-gō′ /

1. A large group of islands.

2. A sea, such as the Aegean, or an area in a sea containing a large number of scattered islands.

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archipelago Cultural  

1. A group of islands near one another.

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Other Word Forms

• archipelagian adjective
• archipelagic adjective

Etymology

Origin of archipelago

1495–1505; alteration ( archi- for arci- ) of Italian arcipelago, alteration of Egeopelago the Aegean Sea < Greek Aigaîon pélagos

Example Sentences

More than 150 giant tortoises have been reintroduced to Floreana Island in Ecuador's famed Galapagos archipelago where they disappeared more than a century ago.

From Barron's

The local museum in Barentsburg focuses on Russia’s centurieslong presence on the archipelago, which Moscow says predates even the European explorers credited with discovering the land in the late 16th century.

From The Wall Street Journal

More than 150 giant tortoises have been reintroduced to Floreana Island in Ecuador's famed Galapagos archipelago where they disappeared more than a century ago, the environment ministry said Friday.

From Barron's

The Chagossians arrived on a remote part of the archipelago on Monday after sailing from Sri Lanka, with the aim of establishing a permanent settlement on their "homeland".

From BBC

The four Chagossians arrived on a remote part of the archipelago on Monday after sailing from Sri Lanka, with the aim of establishing a permanent settlement on their "homeland".

From BBC

Related Words

• enclave
• isle
• islet
• peninsula
• reef