Melanesia
[ mel-uh-nee-zhuh, -shuh ]
/ ˌmɛl əˈni ʒə, -ʃə /
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noun
one of the three principal divisions of Oceania, comprising the island groups in the S Pacific NE of Australia.
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Words nearby Melanesia
melancholiac, melancholic, melancholy, Melanchthon, melanedema, Melanesia, Melanesian, Melanesian Pidgin English, mélange, melanic, Melanie
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British Dictionary definitions for Melanesia
Melanesia
/ (ˌmɛləˈniːzɪə) /
noun
one of the three divisions of islands in the Pacific (the others being Micronesia and Polynesia); the SW division of Oceania: includes Fiji, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, the Bismarck Archipelago, and the Louisiade, Solomon, Santa Cruz, and Loyalty Islands, which all lie northeast of Australia
Word Origin for Melanesia
C19: from Greek melas black + nēsos island; with reference to the dark skins of the inhabitants; on the model of Polynesia
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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