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Shetland

British  
/ ˈʃɛtlənd /

noun

  1. Also called: Shetland Islands.  Official name (until 1974): Zetland.  a group of about 100 islands (fewer than 20 inhabited), off the N coast of Scotland, which constitute an island authority of Scotland: a Norse dependency from the 8th century until 1472; noted for the breeding of Shetland ponies, knitwear manufacturing, and fishing; oil-related industries. Administrative centre: Lerwick. Pop: 21 870 (2003 est). Area: 1426 sq km (550 sq 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

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In drawing up its plans for tunnels, Shetland has taken inspiration from the neighbouring Atlantic archipelago 200 miles to the north west.

From BBC Jun. 29, 2026

Last year the then prime minister of the Faroes, Aksel Johannesen, told BBC News that Shetland could boost growth, revitalise island life and encourage population growth by emulating his country's tunnel network.

From BBC Jun. 29, 2026

Do the Shetland Islands need a tunnel vision?

From BBC Jun. 29, 2026

The Faroes, a self-governing nation in the Kingdom of Denmark, are home to some 54,000 people while Shetland has a population of around 23,000.

From BBC Jun. 29, 2026

My daughter Kathleen tells me it’s an obsession, that I should write about a little girl who finds a million dollars and spends it all on a Shetland pony.

From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien

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