peninsula

[puh-nin-suh-luh, -nins-yuh-luh]

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.

Peninsula

¹

noun

1. short for the Iberian Peninsula

peninsula

²

/ pɪˈnɪnsjʊlə /

noun

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

peninsula

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

peninsula

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

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of peninsula¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of peninsula¹

C16: from Latin, literally: almost an island, from paene _pene- + insula island

Example Sentences

“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.

Read more on Literature

Scipio went directly to New Carthage, the nexus of Carthaginian power in the Iberian peninsula.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

On the peninsula, an even higher rate of breeding females -- 67 percent -- were estimated to have been wiped out.

Read more on Barron's

The peninsula is home to Great Britain's most remote pub, The Old Forge in Inverie, which is run by Stephanie Harris.

Read more on BBC

Early last month, Ukraine struck a refinery in the southern Krasnodar region, as well as an oil terminal and an ammunition depot in the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula, according to Russian authorities.

Read more on Barron's