English Channel

American  

noun

1. an arm of the Atlantic Ocean between southern England and northern France, connected with the North Sea by the Strait of Dover. 350 miles (565 kilometers) long; 20–100 miles (32–160 kilometers) wide.

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English Channel British  

noun

1. French name: La Manche.  an arm of the Atlantic Ocean between S England and N France, linked with the North Sea by the Strait of Dover. Length: about 560 km (350 miles). Width: between 32 km (20 miles) and 161 km (100 miles)

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English Channel Cultural  

1. Arm of the Atlantic Ocean between France and Britain.

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Discover More

A tunnel under the channel connects England and France via auto-carrying train service.

Its cold, choppy waters have been a popular challenge for long-distance swimmers.

A formation of high bluffs on the British side of the English Channel is known as the White Cliffs of Dover.

Example Sentences

Between 1 January and 5 January 2026, a total of 32 people crossed the English Channel by small boat from France.

From BBC

Two oil tankers subject to US sanctions were reportedly spotted sailing east through the English Channel towards Russia on Thursday.

From BBC

More than 800 migrants in 13 boats crossed the English Channel on Saturday, according to Home Office data.

From BBC

The Royal Navy this week said that it had tracked a Russian submarine through the English Channel, the latest in a series of instances of Russian naval activity in UK waters.

From BBC

A tanker shadowed the Russian Kilo-class submarine Krasnodar as it sailed on the surface from the North Sea, through the Strait of Dover and into the English Channel, it said.

From BBC