island

Everyday

1. An island is a piece of land with water all around it. tree →
2. An island is anything that stands alone, surrounded by something different, like a traffic island in a road or a kitchen island. tree →

In the lessons

In geography, Great Britain, Ireland, Tasmania, New Zealand's North and South Islands and Hawaii are islands; Australia is so big it is called a continent. A group of islands is an archipelago. Islands can form from volcanoes or coral. In road safety, a traffic island lets pedestrians stop halfway across. In stories, a desert island, treasure island or castaway tells the reader the hero is alone and must survive. Phrases: «on an island», «desert island», «island country», «traffic island», «no man is an island».

Examples

• Ireland is an island in the Atlantic Ocean. tree →
• We took a ferry to the island. tree →
• New Zealand is made up of two main islands and many smaller ones. tree →
• Hawaii's islands were made by volcanoes. tree →
• The castaway lived alone on a desert island. tree →
• Wait on the traffic island before crossing the second lane. tree →
• Robinson Crusoe was stranded on an island. tree →
• We ate breakfast at the kitchen island. tree →

Note

Spelling trap: the «s» is silent — «EYE-land». An island → «an», because it starts with a vowel sound. People live «on» an island, not «in» (except for large island countries: «in Ireland»). «Isle» is a poetic word for island (the Isle of Wight).

In Jewish tradition

In the Bible "islands" often means far-off coastlands across the sea, which stand for distant nations.

Interpretation. Isaiah calls the faraway lands to praise God, and tradition reads this as the hope that all nations will one day know God.

Examples

• Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare His praise in the islands. (Prophets ISA.42.12, JPS 1917) tree →
• According to their deeds, accordingly He will repay, fury to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; to the islands He will repay recompense. (Prophets ISA.59.18, JPS 1917) tree →
• I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and will dry up the pools. (Prophets ISA.42.15, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Spelling trap: the «s» is silent — «EYE-land». An island → «an», because it starts with a vowel sound. People live «on» an island, not «in» (except for large island countries: «in Ireland»). «Isle» is a poetic word for island (the Isle of Wight).