Torres Strait

American

[tawr-iz, tor-] / ˈtɔr ɪz, ˈtɒr- /

noun

a strait between NE Australia and S New Guinea. 80 miles (130 km) wide.

Torres Strait British

/ ˈtɒr-, ˈtɔːrɪz /

noun

a strait between NE Australia and S New Guinea, linking the Arafura Sea with the Coral Sea. Width: about 145 km (90 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.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples make up about four percent of the population.

From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026

Between 1993 and 2019, sea levels in the Torres Strait rose by about 6 cm per decade, the court was told.

From BBC • Jul. 15, 2025

And while the figures indicate a majority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people voted 'Yes', support wasn’t unanimous.

From BBC • Oct. 26, 2024

Daniel Williams, who is of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, agreed.

From BBC • Oct. 26, 2024

Since the rise of the Arafura Sea finally separated Australia and New Guinea from each other around 10,000 years ago, gene exchange has been limited to tenuous contact via the chain of Torres Strait islands.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

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