peninsula

[ puh-nin-suh-luh, -nins-yuh-luh ]
/ pəˈnɪn sə lə, -ˈnɪns yə lə /

noun

an area of land almost completely surrounded by water except for an isthmus connecting it with the mainland.
the Peninsula,
  1. Spain and Portugal together; Iberian Peninsula; Iberia.
  2. a district in SE Virginia between the York and James rivers: Civil War battles.

Origin of peninsula

1530–40; < Latin paenīnsula, equivalent to paen- pen- + īnsula island

OTHER WORDS FROM peninsula

pen·in·su·lar, adjective pen·in·su·lar·ism, pen·in·su·lar·i·ty [puh-nin-suh-lar-i-tee, -nins-yuh-] /pəˌnɪn səˈlær ɪ ti, -ˌnɪns yə-/, noun trans·pen·in·su·lar, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH peninsula

cape peninsula promontory

Example sentences from the Web for peninsula

British Dictionary definitions for peninsula (1 of 2)

peninsula
/ (pɪˈnɪnsjʊlə) /

noun

a narrow strip of land projecting into a sea or lake from the mainland

Derived forms of peninsula

peninsular, adjective

Word Origin for peninsula

C16: from Latin, literally: almost an island, from paene pene- + insula island

usage for peninsula

The noun peninsula is sometimes confused with the adjective peninsular: the Iberian peninsula (not peninsular)

British Dictionary definitions for peninsula (2 of 2)

Peninsula

noun

the Peninsula short for the Iberian Peninsula

Scientific definitions for peninsula

peninsula
[ pə-nĭnsyə-lə ]

A piece of land that projects into a body of water and is connected with a larger landmass.

Cultural definitions for peninsula

peninsula

A body of land enclosed on three sides by water, jutting out from a larger body of land.