West Indies
noun
(used with a plural verb) Also called the Indies. an archipelago in the N Atlantic between North and South America, comprising the Greater Antilles, the Lesser Antilles, and the Bahamas.
(used with a singular verb) Federation of. Also called West Indies Federation. a former federation (1958–62) of the British islands in the Caribbean, comprising Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad, Tobago, and the Windward and Leeward island colonies.
Related forms
West Indian, adjective, nounDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
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British Dictionary definitions for west indies
West Indies
/ (ˈɪndɪz) /
noun (functioning as singular or plural)
an archipelago off Central America, extending over 2400 km (1500 miles) in an arc from the peninsula of Florida to Venezuela, separating the Caribbean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean: consists of the Greater Antilles, the Lesser Antilles, and the Bahamas; largest island is Cuba. Area: over 235 000 sq km (91 000 sq miles)Also called: the Caribbean
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Culture definitions for west indies
West Indies
Archipelago between North America and South America curving from southern Florida to Venezuela.
Note
It is a popular resort area.
Note
Several of the islands were discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.