• iland(obsolete)
• ylond,ylelond,yland(obsolete)

From earlieriland, fromMiddle Englishiland,yland,ylond, fromOld Englishīeġland, fromProto-West Germanic*auwjuland, fromProto-Germanic*awjōlandą (fromProto-Germanic*awjō(“island, waterland, meadow”), fromProto-Indo-European*h₂ekʷeh₂) +*landą(“land”), equivalent toey +‎land.

Doublet ofÖland. Cognate withScotsisland,iland,yland(“island”),West Frisianeilân(“island”),Saterland FrisianAilound(“island”),Dutcheiland(“island”),Low GermanEiland(“island”),GermanEiland(“island”),Swedishö(“island”),Öland(“Sweden's second largest island”),Danishø(“island”),Norwegianøy(“island”),øyland(“large island”),Icelandiceyland(“island”).

The insertion of ⟨s⟩—a 16th century spelling modification—is due to a change in spelling to the unrelated termisle, which previously lackeds (cf.Middle Englishile,yle). The re-addition was mistakenly carried over to includeiland as well. Related also toGermanAue(“water-meadow”),Latinaqua(“water”). More atea.

• (UK,US)IPA^(key):/ˈaɪlənd/

• Audio(UK):

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• Audio(US):

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• Rhymes:-aɪlənd

island (pluralislands)

1. Acontiguousarea ofland, smaller than acontinent, totallysurrounded bywater.
   • 1624,John Donne, “17. Meditation”, inDeuotions upon Emergent Occasions, and Seuerall Steps in My Sicknes: […], London:[…]A[ugustine] M[atthews] for Thomas Iones,→OCLC,pages415–416:

     No man is anIland, intire of it ſelfe; euery man is a peece of theContinent, a part of themaine;[…]

   • 2002, Gordon L. Rottman,World War 2 Pacific island guide:

     Sumatra is the second largestisland in the East Indies and the fourth largest in the world covering 182,859 square miles.

2. (by extension, in place names) Acontiguousarea ofland, smaller than acontinent, partiallysurrounded bywater; Apeninsula; Ahalf-island.

   Despite its name, BarryIsland is actually a peninsula

3. Anentitysurrounded by other entities that are verydifferent from itself.

   anisland of tranquility

   (a calm place surrounded by a noisy environment)

   anisland of colors on a butterfly's wing

   • 2018 April 10, Daniel Taylor, “Liverpool go through after Mohamed Salah stops Manchester City fightback”, inThe Guardian (London)‎^[1]:

     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 anisland of composure, floating in his 39th goal of the season with a delicate chip into the corner.

   • 1939 October 27, Deseret News,Roosevelt Reaffirms American Neutrality:

     King Leopold, speaking in fluent English during his six minute broadcast, said Belgium stood side by side with Holland "anIsland of peace in the interests of all"

4. Asuperstructure on anaircraft carrier'sdeck.
5. Atraffic island.

   theisland in the middle of a roundabout

6. (by extension,West Midlands) Aroundabout; atraffic circle.

   Duntonisland, near Birmingham, is one of the most confusingly labelledislands in the U.K.

   In Coventry, you will often hear people say: “Turn right at theisland”.

7. A bench, counter, etc., that is not connected to a wall or other furniture and which can be used from any side.
   • 1936,F.J. Thwaites, chapter XXII, inThe Redemption, Sydney: H. John Edwards, published1940, page216:

     A short, rather studious young woman on noticing him moved from behind anisland counter.

8. (government) Anunincorporated area wholly surrounded by one or more incorporated areas.
9. (grammar) Aphrase from which awh-word cannot beextracted without yielding invalid grammar.

   Adverbial subordinate clauses areislands for extraction: "They have a billion dollars of inventory that they don't know where *(it) is".

• (land surrounded by water):ait,holm
• (an entity surrounded by other very different entities):oasis

• insular
• isle
• islet
• archipelago

island (third-person singular simple presentislands,present participleislanding,simple past and past participleislanded)

1. (transitive) To surround with water; make into an island.
   • 1933, Harriet Monroe,Poetry, volume42:

     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 waterislanded the houses.

   • 1956,Anthony Burgess,Time for a Tiger (The Malayan Trilogy), published1972, page138:

     The car soon seemedislanded in water.

2. (transitive) To set, dot (as if) with islands.
   • 1842, T. H. Chivers, “The Song of Seralim: A Celestial Melologue”, inMagnolia; Or Southern Appalachian, volume II, number 1, page52:

     God dwells in light! Before the ocean of unmeasured space, wasislanded 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.

   • 1915,Edward Hutton,Naples and Southern Italy, page22:

     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,[…]

   • 1930,Rupert Hughes,Ladies’ Man, page143:

     She knew that the town wasislanded 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.

3. (transitive) Toisolate.
   • 1865, [Adeline Dutton Train Whitney], “The Secret at the Hartshornes”, inThe Gayworthys: A Story of Threads and Thrums. […], Boston, Mass.:[A. K.] Loring, […],→OCLC,page49:

     The turkey's nest wasislanded with a fragrant swath,—the "heft" of the crop noted and rejoiced over,—the tons of good timothy and clover calculated,—[…]

   • 1896,A[lfred] E[dward] Housman, “[Poem] XXVII”, inA Shropshire Lad, New York, N.Y.:John Lane Company,The Bodley Head, published1906,→OCLC:

     High the vanes of Shrewsbury gleam /Islanded in Severn stream.

• isle

• archipelago
• atoll
• cay,key
• continent
• peninsula
• ait,eyot,holm,braid bar
• crannog

• Ladins,Lindas,ilands,Landis

• iland
• yland

FromOld Englishīġland.

island (pluralislands)

1. Anisland.