Madeira
Americannoun
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a group of eight islands off the NW coast of Africa, part of Portugal. 308 sq. mi. (798 sq. km). Funchal.
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the chief island of this group. 286 sq. mi. (741 sq. km).
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(often lowercase) a rich, strong white or amber wine, resembling sherry, made there.
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(often lowercase) a similar wine made elsewhere.
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a river in W Brazil flowing NE to the Amazon: chief tributary of the Amazon. 2,100 miles (3,380 km) long.
noun
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a group of volcanic islands in the N Atlantic, west of Morocco: since 1976 an autonomous region of Portugal; consists of the chief island, Madeira, Porto Santo, and the uninhabited Deserta and Selvagen Islands. Capital: Funchal. Pop: 245 012 (2001). Area: 797 sq km (311 sq miles)
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a river in W Brazil, flowing northeast to the Amazon below Manaus. Length: 3241 km (2013 miles)
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a rich strong fortified white wine made on Madeira
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.
Experts at Chester Zoo said they had to brave treacherous conditions and climb cliffs to return them to their natural home, which is part of the Madeira archipelago in the Atlantic ocean.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
As well as seeing greenery on a trip to Madeira, Portugal, in 2017, the couple took inspiration from Cornwall's Eden project - where thousands of plant species grow.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
For mains, the grilled rainbow trout with Carolina Gold rice and espelette-citrus beurre blanc was beautifully balanced, while the butternut squash agnolotti with Madeira foam and ricotta offered a rich, comforting counterpoint.
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026
Sussex Police said emergency teams were first called at about 05:45 BST to a report of a single person in the water near Black Rocks car park in Madeira Drive, which runs along the beachfront.
From BBC ● May 14, 2026
Mr. Lyte was talking as informally as though he and Mr. Dana were alone together, sitting at a tavern, cracking walnuts, drinking Madeira.
From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.