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• Pas de Calais
  Pas de Calais

  noun

  French name of the Strait of Dover.
• Pas-de-Calais
  Pas-de-Calais

  noun

  a department in N France. 2,607 sq. mi. (6,750 sq. km). Arras.

Pas de Calais

¹ American  

[pahd^uh ka-le] / pɑdə kaˈlɛ /

noun

1. French name of the Strait of Dover.

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Pas-de-Calais ² American  

[pahd^uh-ka-le] / pɑdə kaˈlɛ /

noun

1. a department in N France. 2,607 sq. mi. (6,750 sq. km). Arras.

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Pas-de-Calais British  

/ pɑdkalɛ /

noun

1. a department of N France, in Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, on the Straits of Dover (the Pas de Calais ): the part of France closest to the British Isles. Capital: Arras. Pop: 1 451 307 (2003 est). Area: 6752 sq km (2633 sq miles)

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Pas de Calais Pas-de-Calais

The drama unfolded late on Thursday morning several miles west off the French coast, in a shipping lane of the Dover Strait, also known as the Pas de Calais.

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2022

He misled the Germans about the time and location of the invasion and helped convince his German handlers that Pas de Calais was the target of the main attack.

From Fox News ● Jun. 5, 2019

His greatest success was persuading German commanders that the Allied invasion would come in France’s Pas de Calais region, far north of the real Normandy landing beaches.

From Seattle Times ● May 30, 2018

The shortest shipping distance from England to France was to the Pas de Calais region.

From Inc ● Jan. 19, 2012

He requested the member from the Pas de Calais to read from the tribune his appeal in favor of the King.

From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 04, No. 26, December, 1859 by Various

The two men, who were broadcasting live videos from the French coast, were arrested near the northern town of Calais on Sunday evening, said Francois-Xavier Lauch, prefect of Pas-de-Calais.

From Barron's ● Jan. 26, 2026

The incident overnight happened south of the beaches of Neufchâtel-Hardelot in the Pas-de-Calais region.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2025

Jacques Billant, the prefect for the Pas-de-Calais area, told reporters in Wimereux that several people had fallen out of the boat.

From New York Times ● Apr. 23, 2024

The prefecture of the northern Pas-de-Calais region said the decision was made to evacuate the high school in Arras after police received a bomb threat via its website.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 16, 2023

Paving-stone is supplied in large quantities by Seine-et-Oise, and brick-clay is worked chiefly in Nord, Seine and Pas-de-Calais.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 7 "Fox, George" to "France" by Various