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

Heart’s Desire Beach is out the peninsula toward the Point Reyes Lighthouse on the west side of the bay, past the tiny town of Inverness.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

They have lived for centuries on the semi-arid peninsula of La Guajira in the northeast of the country, and extend into neighbouring Venezuela.

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Copenhagen airport, followed by several Danish airports and military sites on the Jutland peninsula, faced drone disruption last week.

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Landslides have been occurring on the peninsula for thousands of years, the geological record shows.

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Sanabria Lake, the largest glacial body of water in the Iberian peninsula, is a major local attraction, surrounded by a natural park.

Read more on BBC