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Glite Dictionary
Strait of Calais

Strait of Calais

4.5
A narrow stretch of sea between England and France at their closest point
  • proper noun
translation icon : Estrecho de Calais
  • The Strait of Calais separates England from France.

Examples

  • The Strait of Calais is just 21 miles wide at its narrowest point between Dover and Calais.

  • Many ships pass through the Strait of Calais each day, making it one of the busiest waterways in the world.

  • Crossing the Strait of Calais has been significant in both trade and military history.

  • Many ferries operate across the Strait of Calais.

  • The Strait of Calais is just 21 miles wide at its narrowest point between Dover and Calais.

  • Many ships pass through the Strait of Calais each day, making it one of the busiest waterways in the world.

  • Many ferries operate across the Strait of Calais.

Synonyms

Pas de Calais
vsStrait of Calais
6.2

A narrow sea passage between England and France

is the English name rather than the French name
Strait of Dover
vsStrait of Calais
3.9

A narrow sea passage between southeast England and northern France that connects the English Channel with the North Sea

highlights the strait as the shortest crossing to continental Europe

Surface Forms

Strait of Calais main

Morphology

strait + of + Calais

The phrase is clearly compositional: 'strait' means a narrow sea channel and 'Calais' names the nearby port town, so a learner who knows those words can infer it refers to the narrow channel by Calais. This follows a common noun + of + place toponym pattern found across languages, making the meaning predictable rather than idiomatic.

Etymology

Strait of Calais simply describes the narrow sea area by the town of Calais: strait means a 'narrow passage' of water and Calais is the French town on that side. That's why the name refers to the short, busy crossing between England and Europe.