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island

American  
[ahy-luhnd] / ˈaɪ lənd /

noun

  1. a tract of land completely surrounded by water, and not large enough to be called a continent.

  2. something resembling an island, especially in being isolated or having little or no direct communication with others.

  3. a raised platform with a counter or other work surface on top situated in the middle area of a room, especially a kitchen, so as to permit access from all sides.

  4. safety island.

  5. a low concrete platform for gasoline pumps at an automotive service station.

  6. a clump of woodland in a prairie.

  7. an isolated hill.

  8. Anatomy. an isolated portion of tissue differing in structure from the surrounding tissue.

  9. Railroads. a platform or building between sets of tracks.


verb (used with object)

  1. to make into an island.

  2. to dot with islands.

  3. to place on an island; isolate.

island British  
/ ˈaɪlənd /

noun

  1. a mass of land that is surrounded by water and is smaller than a continent

  2. See traffic island

  3. anatomy a part, structure, or group of cells distinct in constitution from its immediate surroundings

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to cause to become an island

  2. to intersperse with islands

  3. to place on an island; insulate; isolate

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
island Scientific  
/ īlənd /
  1. A land mass, especially one smaller than a continent, entirely surrounded by water.


Other Word Forms

  • island-like adjective
  • islandish adjective
  • islandless adjective
  • islandlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of island

First recorded before 900; Middle English iland, Old English īgland, īland, variant of īegland, from īeg “island” (cognate with Old Norse ey ) + land land; spelling with -s- by association with isle

Explanation

An island is a piece of land that is surrounded on all sides by water. Some islands are so small that a beach chair and umbrella barely fit on them and some are big enough to contain a whole nation. To get to an island you must take a boat, bridge or airplane — be a strong swimmer. If you can get there by land it’s not an island, though it may be a peninsula, like Florida. There are many famous islands, like Manhattan and the islands of Hawaii. Things that are free-standing can also be called islands, like the island made of cabinets and a counter that is found in some kitchens — it's not connected to anything else.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing island

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Photos of island poverty and ruin, strewn across social media, don’t lie.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

Lowry notched his second career hole-in-one on the PGA Tour at the 2022 Players Championship, when he found the cup at perhaps the most picturesque par-3 in golf: the 17th hole with an island green.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

Greenland, the world’s largest island, is bigger than Mexico, but home to fewer than 60,000 people, with no roads connecting settlements.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

She cannot wait to see the puffins that are due to return to the island as the end of this month.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

Jack liked maps; he drew maps of their island, the currents around it, and the places where they’d sailed.

From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr