floating island

American  

noun

1. a dessert consisting of boiled custard with portions of meringue, whipped cream, or whipped egg whites and sometimes jelly floating upon it or around it.

2. a floating mass of earth and partly decayed vegetation held together by interlacing roots, as on a lake: usually formed by the accumulation of plant litter; sometimes artificially built on wooden platforms, as in Asia.

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floating island British  

noun

1. a floating mass of soil held together by vegetation

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Etymology

Origin of floating island

First recorded in 1630–40

Example Sentences

Welcome to this week’s edition of the Surge, the newsletter world’s floating island of garbage—but a floating island of garbage that fights for you.

From Slate • Nov. 2, 2024

“I don’t know if you know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now,” Hinchcliffe said.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 28, 2024

This year, to meet the increasing demand for novelty, he debuted a floating island that looks like a sushi roll, complete with a set of inflatable chopsticks that serve as pool noodles.

From Washington Post • Jul. 8, 2021

Foreign media have not been permitted to visit the island, called Bhashan Char, or floating island.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 3, 2020

By the time they found the floating island, it had been over six months since they left the Paradise Islands, and they were feeling the effects of starvation.

From "The Reader" by Traci Chee