ENGLISH
REFERENCE

island

n. countable
A1 Beginner Oxford US //ˈaɪɫənd// UK //ˈaɪlənd// is·land Archaic General-service Informal

n. a piece of land that has water all around it. You can only get there by boat or plane.

n. a landmass entirely surrounded by water, smaller than a continent. Often used metaphorically to describe something isolated or detached from its surroundings.


SIMPLE

We took a small boat to the island for a picnic.

CONTEXTUAL

The hotel is located on a private island in the middle of the lake.

COMPLEX

Biologists often study remote islands because the physical isolation allows unique species to evolve differently than those on the mainland.

Usage

Takes the preposition 'on' when referring to location ('on an island') rather than 'in'.

Pitfall

I want to live in an islandI want to live on an islandEnglish speakers use 'on' for islands because they are viewed as surfaces or platforms rather than enclosed containers.

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