Gibraltar

American  

[ji-brawl-ter] / dʒɪˈbrɔl tər /

noun

1. a British crown colony comprising a fortress and seaport located on a narrow promontory near the southern tip of Spain. 1.875 sq. mi. (5 sq. km).

2. Rock of Gibraltar.

   1. Ancient Calpe.  a long, precipitous mountain nearly coextensive with this colony: one of the Pillars of Hercules. 1,396 feet (426 meters) high; 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) long.

   2. any person or thing that has strength and endurance that can be relied on.

3. Strait of Gibraltar, a strait between Europe and Africa at the Atlantic entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. 8.5–23 miles (14–37 kilometers) wide.

4. any impregnable fortress or stronghold.

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Gibraltar British  

/ dʒɪˈbrɔːltə /

noun

1. Ancient name: Calpe.  a city on the Rock of Gibraltar, a limestone promontory at the tip of S Spain: settled by Moors in 711 and taken by Spain in 1462; ceded to Britain in 1713; a British crown colony (1830–1969), still politically associated with Britain; a naval and air base of strategic importance. Pop: 29 111 (2013 est). Area: 6.5 sq km (2.5 sq miles)

2. a narrow strait between the S tip of Spain and the NW tip of Africa, linking the Mediterranean with the Atlantic

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Gibraltar Cultural  

1. A colony of Britain on the southern coast of Spain.

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Discover More

Its seeming impregnability as a fortress during several wars led to the saying: “solid as the Rock of Gibraltar.”

Spain has protested British control of Gibraltar, but the dispute has remained unsettled for years.

Location of an important military base; strategically significant because it can be used to keep ships from entering or leaving the Mediterranean Sea.

Located on the Rock of Gibraltar, a huge limestone mass.

Other Word Forms

• Gibraltarian adjective

Etymology

Origin of Gibraltar

First recorded in 1570–80; from Arabic jabal ṭāriq “Mountain of Tariq,” named after Tariq ibn Ziyad, who led the Omayyad conquest of Spain beginning in 711

Example Sentences

While Egypt and Panama charge tolls for their canals, international maritime law doesn’t allow governments to charge fees for passage through natural waterways such as the Strait of Hormuz, the English Channel, Gibraltar and Malacca.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

This was the first of two test cases, the second involving an unnamed 52‑year‑old man on 4 March, also in Gibraltar.

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026

Under the deal, Gibraltar will not officially join the zone, made up of 29 mainly EU countries, but Schengen-style border checks will instead be carried out on travellers arriving at the territory's port and airport.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026

The world's largest vessel, the US aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford, was photographed sailing through the Strait of Gibraltar to enter the Mediterranean on Friday.

From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026

He’s a rock, a real Gibraltar, though if you ask me, a little emotion is a healthy thing once in a while.

From "Mississippi Trial, 1955" by Chris Crowe