West Indies


noun
  1. Also called the Indies .(used with a plural verb) an archipelago in the northern Atlantic between North and South America, comprising the Greater Antilles, the Lesser Antilles, and the Bahamas.

  2. Federation of the West Indies. (used with a singular verb) a former federation (1958–62) of the British islands in the Caribbean, comprising Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad, Tobago, and the Windward and Leeward island colonies.: Also called West Indies Federation .

Other words from West Indies

  • West Indian, adjective, noun

Words Nearby West Indies

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How to use West Indies in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for West Indies

West Indies

/ (ˈɪndɪz) /


noun(functioning as singular or plural)
  1. 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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for West Indies

West Indies

Archipelago between North America and South America curving from southern Florida to Venezuela.

Notes for West Indies

It is a popular resort area.

Notes for West Indies

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.