Shetland

British

/ ˈʃɛtlənd /

noun

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

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

Fair Isle lies half way between Orkney and Shetland and is famed for its knitwear and as a haven for thousands of seabirds.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

Alistair Carmichael, Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney and Shetland, said consumers had faced similar cost rises after the Ukraine war started in 2022.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026

Shetland, West Lothian and East Lothian councils all voted for increases between 7% and 8%.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026

They examined wildlife at 10 sites across the South Shetland Islands, the northern Weddell Sea, and the Antarctic Peninsula.

From Science Daily • Feb. 12, 2026

My present was an orange crewneck sweater, slightly stained but made, Mom pointed out, of genuine Shetland wool.

From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls

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