madeira

Everyday

1. (a place) Madeira is a group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean that belong to Portugal, famous for mountains, flowers and a warm climate. tree →
2. A strong, sweet wine made on those islands. tree →
3. (UK) Madeira cake: a plain, firm sponge cake, often eaten with a cup of tea. tree →

In the lessons

In geography Madeira is a Portuguese island group in the Atlantic, west of Morocco; its capital is Funchal, and the footballer Cristiano Ronaldo was born there. In British kitchens «madeira cake» is a simple yellow cake, good for decorating birthday cakes because it is firm. Its name comes from being served with Madeira wine long ago; the cake has no wine in it.

Examples

• Madeira is a group of islands that belong to Portugal. tree →
• We went to Madeira on holiday and walked along the mountain paths. tree →
• Mum baked a madeira cake for the school cake sale. tree →
• A madeira cake is firm, so it is good for birthday cakes with icing. tree →
• Madeira wine is made on the islands. tree →
• Cristiano Ronaldo was born in Funchal, on Madeira. tree →
• The airport on Madeira is famous for its short runway. tree →
• Madeira means «wood» in Portuguese, because the island was covered in trees. tree →

Note

As a place it takes a capital: Madeira. «Madeira cake» often written with a small m in recipes. Pronounced «ma-DEER-a». The cake does not contain wine. The wine is for adults only. In Portuguese «madeira» means «wood».