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

See Examples For:

English Channel

Rescue efforts are continuing for a vessel in distress in the English Channel as two crew members remain missing, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has said.

From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026

The operation comes after Royal Marine Commandos boarded a Russian "shadow fleet" oil tanker in the English Channel in June.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

Between 1 January and 19 August 2026, a total of 15,897 people crossed the English Channel by small boat from France.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Their bright orange covers are stuffed with little more than what feels like poly-foam -completely inadequate for the open and unpredictable waters of the English Channel.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

The Germans had constructed reinforced concrete pillboxes that housed machine guns, antiaircraft weapons, and light artillery all along the English Channel over to the Atlantic Ocean.

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti