Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • A volcanic island of the western Pacific Ocean, the largest of the Solomon Islands. Visited by English navigators in 1788, the island became a British protectorate in 1893. It was occupied by the Japanese in World War II, leading to an invasion by US troops in August 1942. After fierce jungle fighting, the island was captured by the Allies in February 1943.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun a mountainous island; the largest of the Solomon Islands in the independent state that is a member of the British Commonwealth.
  • noun A battle in World War II in the Pacific (1942-1943), in which American forces invaded the island of Guadalcanal, then occupied by Japanese forces; the island was recaptured by American forces after heavy fighting.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • proper noun a volcanic island in the Pacific, part of the Solomon Islands
  • proper noun a battle in World War II in which American forces recaptured it from the Japanese

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a mountainous island; the largest of the Solomon Islands in the independent state that is a member of the British Commonwealth
  • noun a battle in World War II in the Pacific (1942-1943); the island was occupied by the Japanese and later recaptured by American forces

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Named in 1568 by Álvaro de Mendaña, after his hometown of Guadalcanal, Spain. From Arabic وادي الخانات (wādi al-xānāt, "Valley of the Stalls").

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Examples

  • On November 14, 1908, a very ill Jack London, having left the Snark in Guadalcanal, arrived in Sydney, Australia for medical treatment.

    Introduction to Jack London's Australian Newspaper Articles: Dan Wichlan Collection 2010

  • I realize Col. Cooper fought in Guadalcanal with bolt action Springfields, and tends to be partial towards bolt guns even for defense use, but why the double standard?

    Taps for Colonel Cooper 2006

  • The soldiers called Guadalcanal “Starvation Island.”

    Sea of Thunder Evan Thomas 2006

  • The soldiers called Guadalcanal “Starvation Island.”

    Sea of Thunder Evan Thomas 2006

  • They quickly came up with a new name for Guadalcanal.

    The Do-or-Die Men George W. Smith 2003

  • They quickly came up with a new name for Guadalcanal.

    The Do-or-Die Men George W. Smith 2003

  • They quickly came up with a new name for Guadalcanal.

    The Do-or-Die Men George W. Smith 2003

  • One shell hit a ration dump, covering part of the perimeter with a layer of Spam, providing sustenance for the army of rats that called Guadalcanal home.

    The Do-or-Die Men George W. Smith 2003

  • One shell hit a ration dump, covering part of the perimeter with a layer of Spam, providing sustenance for the army of rats that called Guadalcanal home.

    The Do-or-Die Men George W. Smith 2003

  • One shell hit a ration dump, covering part of the perimeter with a layer of Spam, providing sustenance for the army of rats that called Guadalcanal home.

    The Do-or-Die Men George W. Smith 2003

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