island
is·land (ī′lənd)
noun
- a land mass not as large as a continent, surrounded by water
- anything like an island in position or isolation; specif.,
- a structure above the flight deck of an aircraft carrier containing the bridge, radar, etc.
- a counter which stands alone as in the central area of a kitchen
- any of the elevated areas of a service station, having a bank of gasoline pumps a self-service island
- Anat. a tissue or cluster of cells differing from surrounding tissue in formation, etc.
Etymology: < ME iland (respelled by assoc. with unrelated isle) < OE igland, iegland, lit., island land & ealand, lit., water land < ig, ieg, isle (akin to Ger aue, ON ey < PGmc *aujo, akin to *ahwo) & ea, water < PGmc *ahwo, water < IE *akwa > L aqua: see land
transitive verb
- to make into or like an island; isolate
- to intersperse with or as with islands a prairie islanded with wooded tracts
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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