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definitions

peninsula

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

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

headland, cape, neck, point, chersonese

Nearby words

  1. penicillinase,
  2. penicillium,
  3. penicillus,
  4. penile,
  5. penillion,
  6. peninsula war,
  7. peninsular,
  8. peninsular state,
  9. peninsular war,
  10. peninsulate

Origin of peninsula

1530–40; < Latin paenīnsula, equivalent to paen- pen- + īnsula island
Related formspen·in·su·lar, adjectivepen·in·su·lar·ism, pen·in·su·lar·i·ty [puh-nin-suh-lar-i-tee, -nins-yuh-] /pəˌnɪn səˈlær ɪ ti, -ˌnɪns yə-/, nountrans·pen·in·su·lar, adjective
Can be confusedcape peninsula promontory
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for peninsula

British Dictionary definitions for peninsula (1 of 2)

peninsula

/ (pɪˈnɪnsjʊlə) /

noun

a narrow strip of land projecting into a sea or lake from the mainland
Derived Formspeninsular, adjective

Word Origin for peninsula

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

usage

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

British Dictionary definitions for peninsula (2 of 2)

Peninsula

noun

the Peninsula short for the Iberian Peninsula
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

Word Origin and History for peninsula

peninsula

n.

1530s, from Latin pæninsula "a peninsula," literally "almost an island," from pæne "almost" + insula "island" (see isle). Earlier translated as demie island.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Science definitions for peninsula

peninsula

[ pə-nĭn′syə-lə ]

A piece of land that projects into a body of water and is connected with a larger landmass.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Culture definitions for peninsula

peninsula

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

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.