landmass

[ land-mas ]

/ ˈlændˌmæs /

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noun Geology.

a part of the continental crust above sea level having a distinct identity, as a continent or large island.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of landmass

First recorded in 1855–60; land + mass

Words nearby landmass

landlord, landlordism, landlubber, landman, landmark, landmass, land measure, landmine, Lando, Land of Beulah, Land of Enchantment

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use landmass in a sentence

This also suggests a continental landmass had emerged in what is now India by at least three billion years ago.
The First Continents Bobbed to the Surface More Than Three Billion Years Ago, Study Shows|Priyadarshi Chowdhury|November 10, 2021|Singularity Hub
The group’s president, Mike McCarter, says the expanded state he envisions would become the country’s third-largest in terms of landmass.
Five rural counties in liberal Oregon vote in favor of leaving state for more conservative Idaho|Derek Hawkins|May 20, 2021|Washington Post
Strontium from older landmasses has a slightly different chemical signature than strontium from newer ones, so looking at the isotopes in people’s tooth enamel lets researchers determine roughly where they lived throughout their lifetimes.
How technology helped archaeologists dig deeper|Annalee Newitz|April 28, 2021|MIT Technology Review
Mars’ lava flows were jaw-droppingly prolific, often producing enough lava to bury a landmass the size of the United Kingdom in a matter of weeks.
Iceland’s Eruptions Reveal the Hot History of Mars|Robin George Andrews|April 6, 2021|Quanta Magazine

Alternatively, perhaps northern newcomers to South America evolved into many more species once they infiltrated the new landmass.
Why South America’s ancient mammals may have lost out to northern counterparts|Jake Buehler|November 4, 2020|Science News
But even Queens and Brooklyn are part of the larger landmass that makes up Long Island.
‘The Power Broker’ Turns 40: How Robert Caro Wrote a Masterpiece|Scott Porch|September 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The largest of an archipelago of islands, Santorini is the vestige of a single volcanic landmass that erupted around 1600 BC.
Book a Room for Two in a Santorini Cave|Joanna Eede|June 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On both sides, paths slant down to the river as it splits around the 4-acre landmass.
Inside New York’s New Four Freedoms Park: A Private Tour|Lynn Sherr|September 23, 2012|DAILY BEAST
During part of this volcanic activity, Canyon Mountain stood as a high landmass, but finally it too was deeply buried.
The Geologic Setting of the John Day Country|Thomas Prence Thayer
Across the ocean from the island there was another landmass, whose far edges were not in sight.
The Revolutions of Time|Jonathan Dunn

British Dictionary definitions for landmass

landmass

/ (ˈlændˌmæs) /

noun

a large continuous area of land, as opposed to seas or islands

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

Scientific definitions for landmass

landmass

[ lănd′măs′ ]

A large, continuous area of land, such as a continent or a very large island.