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

Strong winds will spread across many other southern parts of the UK during Friday with a Met Office yellow warning covering the rest of south-west England, the English Channel coast, and the south of Wales.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

Between 1 January and 18 October 2026, a total of 20,935 people crossed the English Channel by small boat from France.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

It is part of the final march to Calais, from where he plans to swim across the English Channel in October.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

The flight time was planned to be less than three days, but the voyage fell behind schedule because of a storm in the English Channel.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Far below, through the tattered clouds, the chalk cliffs of Dover glowed white as old bone, and the dark water of the English Channel was flecked with whitecaps.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

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