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Shetland

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noun
  1. Shetland Islands.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for shetland

Historical Examples

  • Of those who win honours, The Shetland Snark must have the 3rd class all to himself.

    A Tangled Tale

    Lewis Carroll

  • Do you know where these lovely little Shetland ponies live when they are at home?

  • Found on rocks and stones in Scotland, Shetland, and Scandinavia.

    Vegetable Dyes

    Ethel M. Mairet

  • In Shetland, the Parmelia saxatilis (Scrottyie) is used to dye brown.

    Vegetable Dyes

    Ethel M. Mairet

  • The name given to a long fishing-line in the Shetland Isles.

    The Sailor's Word-Book

    William Henry Smyth

British Dictionary definitions for shetland

Shetland

noun
  1. Also called: Shetland Islands 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)Official name (until 1974): Zetland
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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 shetland

Shetland

group of islands north of Scotland, from Old Norse Hjaltland; in reference to a type of pony, 1801; as a breed of sheep, 1794.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper