island
Meanings
- A contiguous area of land, smaller than a continent, totally surrounded by water.
- A contiguous area of land, smaller than a continent, partially surrounded by water; a peninsula; a half-island.
- An entity surrounded by other entities that are very different from itself.
- A superstructure on an aircraft carrier's deck.
- A traffic island.
- A roundabout; a traffic circle.
- A bench, counter, etc., that is not connected to a wall or other furniture and which can be used from any side.
- Ellipsis of kitchen island.
- An unincorporated area wholly surrounded by one or more incorporated areas.
- A phrase from which a wh-word cannot be extracted without yielding invalid grammar.
- To surround with water; make into an island.
- To set, dot (as if) with islands.
- To isolate.
- Long Island (in New York State).
- Long Beach Island.
- Vancouver Island.
- Synonym of Prince Edward Island.
- Epstein Island.
- HM Prison Parkhurst, a prison on the Isle of Wight.
- Obsolete form of Iceland.
Pronunciation
Word forms
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ékʷeh₂ Proto-Germanic *awjō Proto-Indo-European *lendʰ- Proto-Indo-European *-om Proto-Germanic *landą Proto-Germanic *awjōlandą Proto-West Germanic *auwjuland Old English īeġland Middle English ilond English iland English island From earlier iland, from Middle English iland, yland, ylond, from Old English īeġland, from Proto-West Germanic *auwjuland, from Proto-Germanic *awjōlandą (from Proto-Germanic *awjō (“island, waterland, meadow”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ekʷeh₂) + *landą (“land”), equivalent to ey + land. Doublet of Öland. Cognate with Scots island, iland, yland (“island”), West Frisian eilân (“island”), Saterland Frisian Ailound (“island”), Dutch eiland (“island”), Low German Eiland (“island”), German Eiland (“island”), Swedish ö (“island”), Öland (“Sweden's second largest island”), Danish ø (“island”), Norwegian øy (“island”), øyland (“large island”), Icelandic eyland (“island”). The insertion of ⟨s⟩—a 16th century spelling modification—is due to a change in spelling to the unrelated term isle, which previously lacked s (cf. Middle English ile, yle). The re-addition was mistakenly carried over to include iland as well. Related also to German Aue (“water-meadow”), Latin aqua (“water”). More at ea.