Drake Passage

American  

noun

1. a strait between southern South America and the South Shetland Islands, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

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Drake Passage British  

noun

1. a strait between S South America and the South Shetland Islands, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans

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Etymology

Origin of Drake Passage

First recorded in 1830–40 as Drake's Passage; named after Sir Francis Drake

Example Sentences

Working in this way also means researchers operate on the tourist ship’s schedule, with just four full days travelling around the Peninsula before heading back across the infamous Drake Passage.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2024

Temperatures are relatively mild and the normally tempestuous Drake Passage is calmer.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 1, 2024

You’re not on Antarctica’s Drake Passage, or out on the Pacific Ocean — wait a minute, you’re not even a sailor.

From New York Times • Dec. 14, 2023

Gregory had traveled across the Drake Passage that separates South America from the southernmost continent to film a rare orca population called B1.

From National Geographic • Sep. 7, 2023

And in October 2022, satellites spotted the world's largest iceberg, A-76A, as it entered the Drake Passage and began drifting toward the equator.

From Scientific American • Apr. 19, 2023