peninsula

American  

[puh-nin-suh-luh, -nins-yuh-luh] / pəˈnɪn sə lə, -ˈnɪns yə lə /

noun

1. an area of land almost completely surrounded by water except for an isthmus connecting it with the mainland.

2. the Peninsula,

   1. Spain and Portugal together; Iberian Peninsula; Iberia.

   2. a district in SE Virginia between the York and James rivers: Civil War battles.

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Peninsula ¹ British  

noun

1. short for the Iberian Peninsula

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peninsula ² British  

/ pɪˈnɪnsjʊlə /

noun

1. a narrow strip of land projecting into a sea or lake from the mainland

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peninsula Scientific  

/ pə-nĭn′syə-lə /

1. A piece of land that projects into a body of water and is connected with a larger landmass.

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peninsula Cultural  

1. A body of land enclosed on three sides by water, jutting out from a larger body of land.

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Usage

The noun peninsula is sometimes confused with the adjective peninsular: the Iberian peninsula (not peninsular )

Other Word Forms

• peninsular adjective
• peninsularism noun
• peninsularity noun
• transpeninsular adjective

Etymology

Origin of peninsula

1530–40; < Latin paenīnsula, equivalent to paen- pen- + īnsula island

Example Sentences

Since it was still too early to check in, I shook off the postmeal fatigue and drove downtown, to the heart of the peninsula, and parked on King Street.

From The Wall Street Journal

Williams was on a mission near the peninsula’s north when he saw seven of the Soviet jets appear and eventually open fire, according to a Defense Department account.

From The Wall Street Journal

Ms Sánchez acknowledges that there is room for improvement for Spain's electricity model, pointing to the Iberian peninsula's relative isolation from the European grid compared to most of its EU neighbours.

From BBC

It is a contest for who will be the leading power in the Arabian peninsula.

From BBC

“There is some sort of secret government project out here on the Virginia peninsula, and they are looking for Colored women who are mathematicians,” Eric told me.

From Literature