Definition of "island"

island

/ˈaɪ̯lənd/

noun
plural islands
1. A contiguous area of land, smaller than a continent, totally surrounded by water.
  Quotations
  No man is an Iland, intire of it selfe; every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; […]
  1624, John Donne, “17. Meditation”, in Deuotions upon Emergent Occasions, and Seuerall Steps in My Sicknes: […], London: Printed by A[ugustine] M[atthews] for Thomas Iones; republished as Geoffrey Keynes, edited by John Sparrow, Devotions upon Emergent Occasions: […], Cambridge: At the University Press, 1923, page 98, lines 2–3
  Sumatra is the second largest island in the East Indies and the fourth largest in the world covering 182,859 square miles.
  2002, Gordon L. Rottman, World War 2 Pacific island guide
2. (by extension, in place names) A contiguous area of land, smaller than a continent, partially surrounded by water; A peninsula; A half-island.
3. An entity surrounded by other entities that are very different from itself.
  Quotations
  He was on the ball in a flash, swerving to the left of City’s goalkeeper, Ederson, before shaping his body for a tricky angled finish. He was an island of composure, floating in his 39th goal of the season with a delicate chip into the corner.
  2018 April 10, Daniel Taylor, “Liverpool go through after Mohamed Salah stops Manchester City fightback”, in The Guardian (London)‎
  King Leopold, speaking in fluent English during his six minute broadcast, said Belgium stood side by side with Holland "an Island of peace in the interests of all"
  1939 October 27, Deseret News, Roosevelt Reaffirms American Neutrality
4. A superstructure on an aircraft carrier's deck.
5. A traffic island.
6. (by extension, West Midlands dialect) A roundabout; A traffic circle.
7. A bench, counter, etc., that is not connected to a wall or other furniture and which can be used from any side.
  Quotations
  A short, rather studious young woman on noticing him moved from behind an island counter.
  1936, F.J. Thwaites, chapter XXII, in The Redemption, Sydney: H. John Edwards, published 1940, page 216
8. (government) An unincorporated area wholly surrounded by one or more incorporated areas.
9. (grammar) A phrase from which a wh-word cannot be extracted without yielding invalid grammar.
verb
third-person singular simple present islands, present participle islanding, simple past and past participle islanded
1. (transitive) To surround with water; make into an island.
  Quotations
  We paused at little river cities along the way and walked upon their bushy dikes, and heard tales of overflows in flood seasons, when four feet or more of water islanded the houses.
  1933, Harriet Monroe, Poetry, volume 42
  The car soon seemed islanded in water.
  1956, Anthony Burgess, Time for a Tiger (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 138
2. (transitive) To set, dot (as if) with islands.
  Quotations
  God dwells in light! Before the ocean of unmeasured space, was islanded with stars serenely bright, reflecting back the radiance of his face - he dwelt above in heaven’s immortal bliss, thinking into existence that which is.
  1842, T.H.Chivers, “The Song of Seralim: A Celestial Melologue”, in Magnolia; Or Southern Appalachian - Vol. II - No.1, page 52
  This Apulia is a land of vast pastures and cornfields and olive gardens, islanded with many rich cities, notable if only for the splendour of their churches,[…]
  1915, Edward Hutton, Naples and Southern Italy, page 22
  She knew that the town was islanded with many waters - the Hudson, the Harlem and the East rivers, and the Bay - but the rivers were hard to find in the universal velvetiness.
  1930, Rupert Hughes, Ladies’ Man, page 143
3. (transitive) To isolate.
  Quotations
  High the vanes of Shrewsbury gleam / Islanded in Severn stream.
  1896, A. E. Housman, A Shropshire Lad, XXVII, lines 1-2

Definition of "island"

island

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verb

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