yland

Noun

island (plural islands)

1. A contiguous area of land, smaller than a continent, totally surrounded by water.
   • No man is an Iland, intire of it ſelfe; euery 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: […] A[ugustine] M[atthews] for Thomas Iones, →OCLC, pages 415–416
2. (broadly) 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
3. 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.

   Synonyms:

   oasis

4. A superstructure on an aircraft carrier's deck.
5. A traffic island.
   • the island in the middle of a roundabout
6. (West-Midlands, broadly) A roundabout; a traffic circle.
   • Dunton island, near Birmingham, is one of the most confusingly labelled islands in the U.K.

See all 18 meanings of island