island
/ˈaɪlənd/ noun, verb, proper noun
Forms islands islanding islanded the Island iland yland ylond ylelond
- noun A contiguous area of land, smaller than a continent, totally surrounded by water.
- noun (by extension, in place names) A contiguous area of land, smaller than a continent, partially surrounded by water; a peninsula; a half-island. “Despite its name, Barry Island is actually a peninsula”
- noun An entity surrounded by other entities that are very different from itself. “The quiet library was an island of tranquility in the noisy, bustling city.”
- noun A superstructure on an aircraft carrier's deck.
- noun A traffic island. “the island in the middle of a roundabout”
- noun (by extension, West Midlands) A roundabout; a traffic circle. “Dunton island, near Birmingham, is one of the most confusingly labelled islands in the U.K.”
- noun A bench, counter, etc., that is not connected to a wall or other furniture and which can be used from any side.
- noun (government) An unincorporated area wholly surrounded by one or more incorporated areas.
- verb (transitive) To surround with water; make into an island.
- verb (transitive) To set, dot (as if) with islands. “the many-islanded Aegean”
- verb (transitive) To isolate.
- proper noun (New York City) Long Island (in New York State).
- proper noun (New Jersey) Long Beach Island.
- proper noun (British Columbia) Vancouver Island.
- proper noun (Canada, colloquial) Synonym of Prince Edward Island.
- proper noun (Internet slang, euphemistic) Epstein Island.
- proper noun (UK, colloquial) HM Prison Parkhurst, a prison on the Isle of Wight.
Synonyms
Etymology
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.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A tract of land surrounded by water, and smaller than a continent.
- noun Anything regarded as resembling an island; as, an island of ice.
- verb To cause to become or to resemble an island; to make an island or islands of; to isle. Shelley.
- verb To furnish with an island or with islands; as, to island the deep.
Etymology [OE. iland, yland, AS. igland, , ; ig, , island + land, lond, land. AS. ig, , is akin to AS. eá water, river, OHG. , G. au meadow, Icel. ey island, Dan. & Sw. ö, Goth. ahwa a stream, water, L. aqua water. The s is due to confusion with isle. Cf. Ait, Eyot, Ewer, Aquatic.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “island”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details