Northwest Passage

noun

a ship route along the Arctic coast of Canada and Alaska, joining the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Origin of Northwest Passage

First recorded in 1545–55

Words Nearby Northwest Passage

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

How to use Northwest Passage in a sentence

As a result, the British clamored to explore the north, rekindling that long-held dream of finding a Northwest Passage.
The Volcano That Rewrote History | William O’Connor | May 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Henry Hudson sailed from Gravesend on his first voyage for the discovery of a Northwest Passage to India.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology | Joel Munsell
Martin Frobisher was despatched with three pinnaces to discover a Northwest Passage, but compelled by the ice to return.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology | Joel Munsell
He has given us to see the Northwest Passage forced, and winter bearded on his everlasting throne, by another.
It Is Never Too Late to Mend | Charles Reade
Some went back to report that there was no Northwest Passage, and others were lost among the ice-floes and never returned.
Historic Adventures | Rupert S. Holland

Hudson's achievement added to his fame, and he was once more sent in search of the Northwest Passage.
The Greater Republic | Charles Morris

British Dictionary definitions for Northwest Passage

Northwest Passage

noun

the passage by sea from the Atlantic to the Pacific along the N coast of America: attempted for over 300 years by Europeans seeking a short route to the Far East, before being successfully navigated by Amundsen (1903–06)

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

Cultural definitions for Northwest Passage

Northwest Passage

A sea route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean through northwestern America, often sought by early explorers. There is an actual Northwest Passage, but it requires sailing through far northern waters that are icebound much of the year.

Browse