Crete

American  

[kreet] / krit /

noun

1. Formerly Candia.  a Greek island in the Mediterranean, southeast of mainland Greece. 3,235 sq. mi. (8,380 sq. km). Canea.

2. Sea of Crete, a part of the south Aegean Sea lying between the Cyclades Islands and Crete.

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Crete British  

/ kriːt /

noun

1. Modern Greek name: Kríti.  a mountainous island in the E Mediterranean, the largest island of Greece: of archaeological importance for the ruins of Minoan civilization. Pop: 601 131 (2001). Area: 8331 sq km (3216 sq miles)

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Crete Cultural  

1. Island in southeastern Greece in the Mediterranean Sea.

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One of the world's earliest civilizations, the Minoan civilization, reached its peak in Crete in 1600 b.c.

Crete is the largest of the Greek islands.

In Greek mythology, Crete was Minos's kingdom, where the Minotaur lived at the center of the Labyrinth.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Crete

She climbs on his back, whereupon the deceitful Zeus abducts her, bearing her westward across the waters toward Crete.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

“They just come on vacation to spend,” said Panos Panis, manager at a company that does boat trips on the Greek island of Crete.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

Crete worst of all, in the south, where a fire near Rethymno had driven some 8,000 people from their homes in a single night.

From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026

Greek firefighters continued to battle a wildfire ravaging parts of the tourist island of Crete on Friday, although conditions had improved around the town of Rethymno, authorities said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026

How Minos, King of Crete, failed to sacrifice a white bull to Poseidon.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides