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

More than 2,000 migrants have arrived in the UK on small boats since Burnham became prime minister, and 326 people crossed the English Channel on Saturday.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

Between 1 January and 1 August 2026, a total of 14,526 people crossed the English Channel by small boat from France.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

Ship tracking data shows that the Mikhail Britnev left Russia's Baltiysk port on 18 June and moved through the North Sea before entering the English Channel.

From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026

A small boat crossed the English Channel on Friday carrying 128 people, the largest-ever recorded number to make the journey in a single vessel.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

By attacking along the Somme, the Germans expected to draw British reserves down from the north, where a second German attack would drive toward the English Channel seaports so crucial to British supply lines.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman