Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- A group of islands off the northwest coast of Europe comprising Great Britain, Ireland, and adjacent smaller islands.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- proper noun A group of
islands off the northwest coast of mainlandEurope , comprisingGreat Britain ,Ireland , theIsle of Wight , theIsles of Scilly , theIsle of Man , theOuter Hebrides , theInner Hebrides , theOrkney Islands , theShetland Islands and many other smaller islands. Use may include theChannel Islands , although these are physically closer tomainland Europe.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun Great Britain and Ireland and adjacent islands in the north Atlantic
Etymologies
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Examples
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Davies explores the successive invasions of what we call the British Isles and the struggles between the peoples who had come to conquer and then remained to call different parts their own.
Five Best 2008
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Nor is this all, for in the case of two or three extremely local species, but one or two spots in the British Isles are their favoured haunts.
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Sacerdotal India -- and perhaps also Atlantis -- in early times sent pioneers into the West to spread religious teachings amongst their energetic inhabitants; those who settled in Gaul and the British Isles were the Druids.
Reincarnation A Study in Human Evolution Th. Pascal
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Germany has declared that the English Channel, the north and west coasts of France, and the waters around the British Isles are a "war area" and has officially notified that all enemy ships found in that area will be destroyed and that neutral vessels may be exposed to danger.
New York Times Current History: The European War, Vol 2, No. 1, April, 1915 April-September, 1915 Various
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Gaelic (Scots) From about 1840 when organised European settlement of New Zealand began, the westernmost Celtic fringe peoples of the British Isles, that is, those of Ireland, the Scottish Highlands, Cornwall, Wales and the Isle of Man, contributed in varying proportions to the immigrant population of New Zealand.
Book & Print in New Zealand: A Guide to Print Culture in New Zealand Penny Griffith 1885
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Italy and the British Isles are the settings for the majority of Shakespeare's comedies, tragedies and history plays.
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Italy and the British Isles are the settings for the majority of Shakespeare's comedies, tragedies and history plays.
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Music of the British Isles will be the theme of a concert by the Fond du Lac Symphonic Band on Wednesday, Aug. 12.
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LONDON - Scientists have got hold of incredible new footage that could shows a mysterious monster lurking beneath one of the deepest lakes in the British Isles, which is unlike any creature ever seen.
Gaea Times (by Simple Thoughts) Breaking News and incisive views 24/7 2009
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Renting a manor house somewhere in the British Isles is a stress free way to entertain as if you were in your own luxury home but with none of the ensuing hassles.
Luxist 2009
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