island
Americannoun
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islands
plural
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a tract of land completely surrounded by water, and not large enough to be called a continent.
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something resembling an island, especially in being isolated or having little or no direct communication with others.
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a raised platform with a counter or other work surface on top situated in the middle area of a room, especially a kitchen, so as to permit access from all sides.
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a low concrete platform for gasoline pumps at an automotive service station.
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a clump of woodland in a prairie.
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an isolated hill.
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Anatomy. an isolated portion of tissue differing in structure from the surrounding tissue.
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Railroads. a platform or building between sets of tracks.
verb (used with object)
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to make into an island.
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to dot with islands.
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to place on an island; isolate.
noun
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a mass of land that is surrounded by water and is smaller than a continent
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See traffic island
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anatomy a part, structure, or group of cells distinct in constitution from its immediate surroundings
verb
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to cause to become an island
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to intersperse with islands
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to place on an island; insulate; isolate
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of island
First recorded before 900; Middle English iland, Old English īgland, īland, variant of īegland, from īeg “island” (cognate with Old Norse ey ) + land land; spelling with -s- by association with isle
Explanation
An island is a piece of land that is surrounded on all sides by water. Some islands are so small that a beach chair and umbrella barely fit on them and some are big enough to contain a whole nation. To get to an island you must take a boat, bridge or airplane — be a strong swimmer. If you can get there by land it’s not an island, though it may be a peninsula, like Florida. There are many famous islands, like Manhattan and the islands of Hawaii. Things that are free-standing can also be called islands, like the island made of cabinets and a counter that is found in some kitchens — it's not connected to anything else.
Vocabulary lists containing island
Physical Geography - Introductory
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Physical Geography - Middle School
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Physical Geography - High School
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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.
See Examples For:
Moscow's FSB security service said a Japanese national, whom it did not name, was arrested on the Far East island of Sakhalin.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
Black cabinetry and a sizable island also define the space, which is well-suited for entertaining.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
Today, my wife, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, and I divide our time between homes in New York and Spain’s Mallorca island, overlooking the Mediterranean.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
This is not the first such protest in Batam, whose shrinking reservoirs find themselves under more pressure as the island tries to transform itself into a digital hub.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
They try to remain hopeful, but in May 1942 they receive devastating news: Corregidor, the island where General MacArthur had established his new headquarters, has been defeated.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Experts also point to slash-and-burn land-clearing practices that have changed the naturally fire-resistant landscape of Sumatra and Borneo islands.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
The islands became a self-governing U.S. commonwealth, similar to Puerto Rico, and eligible residents gained U.S. citizenship.
From Salon ● Oct. 13, 2026
She said the roles are essential to make politics "feel more accessible" across the islands.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
Around the islands, shallow waters glow in brilliant shades of turquoise, contrasting sharply with the dark blue of the deeper surrounding ocean.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
A small merchant ship, in the early thirteenth century BCE was making its way between two of the five tiny islands off Cape Gelidonya on the southwest coast of Turkey.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
