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Inside Passage

Inside Passage

1 5.6
A long water route along the coast for boats from Seattle to Skagway, protected by islands
  • proper noun
  • /ˈɪnˌsaɪd ˈpæsɪdʒ/
translation icon : Paso Interno
  • Cruising through Alaska's Inside Passage offers breathtaking views of mountains and wildlife.
  • Inside Passage to Alaska
  • Inside Passage cruise

Examples

  • The Inside Passage is a popular route for those traveling between Seattle and Alaska's coastal towns.

  • The majestic sites along the Inside Passage aboard Celebrity Cruise Line's Summit serve to prepare you for Barrow.

    Blog text (12)
  • Her binoculars hang ready around her neck, and she scouts the water and green cliffs of the Inside Passage as though survival depends on her vigilance.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • The islands and enormous trees on the Inside Passage were specters, shrouded women in the mist; the fog was thick in the morning, and the ship pushed the demons to their shores.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Many tourists choose to explore the Inside Passage to enjoy its serene landscapes and marine life.

Synonyms

Inland Passage
vsInside Passage
6.9

A protected water route along the coast of southeastern Alaska used by ships and boats

is valued more for its scenic marine travel than just practical shipping

Surface Forms

Morphology

inside + passage

This is a compositional place name: 'inside' (within, sheltered) modifies 'passage' (a sea route or crossing), so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a sheltered/coastal waterway used for marine travel. Although it is a specific proper name, its meaning follows regular modifier+noun composition and is cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner could grasp the general sense without prior exposure.

Etymology

Inside Passage is named because boats travel between a line of islands and the coast, literally moving inside the islands through a safe passage of water. That's why the name now means the long sheltered waterway from Seattle to Alaska that ships and tourists use.