Greenland

[ green-luh nd, -land ]
/ ˈgrin lənd, -ˌlænd /

noun

a self-governing island belonging to Denmark, located NE of North America: the largest island in the world. About 844,000 sq. mi. (2,186,000 sq. km); about 700,000 sq. mi. (1,800,000 sq. km) icecapped. Capital: Godthåb.

OTHER WORDS FROM Greenland

Green·land·er, noun Green·land·ish, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for greenland

British Dictionary definitions for greenland

Greenland
/ (ˈɡriːnlənd) /

noun

a large island, lying mostly within the Arctic Circle off the NE coast of North America: first settled by Icelanders in 986; resettled by Danes from 1721 onwards; integral part of Denmark (1953–79); granted internal autonomy 1979; mostly covered by an icecap up to 3300 m (11 000 ft) thick, with ice-free coastal strips and coastal mountains; the population is largely Inuit, with a European minority; fishing, hunting, and mining. Capital: Nuuk (Godthåb). Pop: 57 714 (2013 est). Area: 175 600 sq km (840 000 sq miles) Danish name: Grønland Greenlandic name: Kalaallit Nunaat

Cultural definitions for greenland

Greenland

Island lying largely within the Arctic Circle; owned by Denmark but governed locally since 1978. Its native name is Kaballit Nunaat.

notes for Greenland

Greenland is the largest island in the world. ( Australia is larger but is officially a continent, not an island.)