Scapa Flow

American

[skah-puh, skap-uh] / ˈskɑ pə, ˈskæp ə /

noun

an area of water off the N coast of Scotland, in the Orkney Islands: British naval base; German warships scuttled 1919.

Scapa Flow British

/ ˈskæpə /

noun

an extensive landlocked anchorage off the N coast of Scotland, in the Orkney Islands: major British naval base in both World Wars. Length: about 24 km (15 miles). Width: 13 km (8 miles)

"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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The British warships sunk in Scapa Flow - HMS Royal Oak and HMS Vanguard - are classified as war graves and special permission is needed from the Ministry of Defence to visit them.

From BBC • Aug. 11, 2025

The SS Express sank north of Scapa Flow following a collision with another ship.

From BBC • Aug. 28, 2023

He was on board the MV Jean Elaine vessel, operated by Stromness-based Scapa Flow Charters, in the hours before his death.

From BBC • Sep. 3, 2021

Lex Warner is on the deck of the MV Jean Elaine, a dive boat a recreational dive team called Dark Star had hired from Scapa Flow Charters in Stromness.

From BBC • Oct. 16, 2018

Harwich has also been recently made into an especially strong naval base, and, further, the roadstead of Scapa Flow in the Orkney Isles has been enlarged into a cruiser station.

From Germany and the Next War by Bernhardi, Friedrich von

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023