a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
"We took a ferry to visit the island, which was just a small patch of green surrounded by blue ocean."
a zone or area resembling an island
"The submerged rocks created a small fishing island in the vast, open ocean where only a few brave divers could reach it."
A contiguous area of land, smaller than a continent, totally surrounded by water.
"The cruise ship docked at the island to let passengers explore its beaches."
In plain English: An island is a piece of land that is completely surrounded by water.
"We spent our summer vacation on a small island in the middle of the lake."
Usage: Use "island" to describe any piece of land completely surrounded by water, regardless of its size. This term applies to everything from tiny sandbars to large landmasses like Madagascar, provided they are not connected to a mainland or other continents.
To surround with water; make into an island.
"The rising floodwaters completely cut off the town, effectively isolating it as a small island surrounded by rushing currents."
In plain English: To island something means to surround it with water so that it is cut off from everything else.
"We cannot island ourselves from the rest of the world during this crisis."
Usage: As a verb, to island means to enclose or separate something completely with water. Use this term when describing how a structure like a breakwater creates a dry area surrounded by the sea.
Long Island (in New York State)
"We spent our entire summer vacation visiting friends on Long Island, New York."
The word "island" comes from Old English, originally combining the words for "ey" (meaning island or waterland) and "land." It entered Middle English as a compound term that has retained its core meaning of a piece of land surrounded by water.