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to island

to island

7.3
To cut off a place or person so they become isolated
  • verb
  • /ˈaɪlənd/
translation icon : aislar
  • After the landslide, the road was blocked and the community was islanded for days.

Examples

  • Heavy snow islanded several families in their homes until help arrived.

  • The rising river islanded the village, making it unreachable by car.

  • Don't island your thoughts!

  • They decided to island the project from the rest of the team.

  • The heavy rain islanded the city, leaving residents cut off from the surrounding areas.

  • After the storm, many roads were flooded, and several neighborhoods were islanded for days.

  • The fallen trees islanded the small cottages, making it impossible for anyone to reach them until crews cleared the way.

Synonyms

to isolate
vsto island
256 4.2

To keep someone or something apart from others

expresses separation using a vivid place image rather than plain separation
to enisle
vsto island
  • Archaic
9.9

To make someone or yourself live apart from other people, like on an island

has identical meaning but is the standard main entry form
to enclave
vsto island
7.9

To surround and cut off a place so people cannot enter or leave

means separation by putting someone apart rather than enclosing them within others

Antonyms

2.1

To join people or things into one group for a shared purpose

445 2.7

Attach something to power or a network so it works

Idioms

on an island
  • Informal
4 8.4

Feeling alone and unsupported in a group or situation

7.9

To be alone even when other people are near

Phrasal Verbs

To travel between islands during a holiday

Compounds

51 2.6

A large island in southeastern New York near New York City

19 3.6

An island in the sea where no one lives

15 3.5

The southernmost and least populated borough of New York City

14 3.2

A place in Brooklyn by the sea with a beach, boardwalk, and rides

barrier island
  • Specialized
11 4.6

A long narrow sandy island near the coast that protects the mainland from waves and storms

An island in the Caribbean Sea known for warm weather and beaches

8 3.7

An island in New York Bay where many immigrants entered the United States from 1892 to 1954

A British island in the English Channel near France

A counter in a kitchen that you can walk around and use for cooking or eating

A stretch of water between Long Island and Connecticut on the US Atlantic coast

1 2.8

The smaller of New Zealand's two main islands, with more people and separated from South Island by Cook Strait

A raised area in the middle of a road where people wait and cars cannot go

1 3.1

A large island of New Zealand that has fewer people than the North Island

An island near Manhattan in New York Bay with the Statue of Liberty

A large red-brown chicken kept for eggs and meat

A battle in December 1941 where Japan captured Wake Island after American marines fought hard

An island in New York Bay now called Liberty Island, home to the Statue of Liberty

A barrier island off the coast of North Carolina with sandy beaches

A person who lives on an island

A creamy sauce for salads and sandwiches made from mayonnaise and chopped pickles

A large island off the southwest coast of British Columbia that is the largest on North America's west coast

A large island in Papua New Guinea and the largest in the Solomon Islands group

An island in northeastern Nova Scotia, Canada known for scenic landscapes and Celtic culture

An island at the southern tip of Nova Scotia, Canada, known for many seabirds and its sea history

A fern from the Canary Islands and Madeira with soft, hairy underground stems like a hare's foot

An island off the coast of California visited for its beaches and natural beauty

An island near Juneau in southeast Alaska with many brown bears and dense forests

A large island off the northwest coast of Wales separated from the mainland by the Menai Strait

The largest island in Bahrain where most people live

An island in the Persian Gulf that makes up most of Bahrain

9.9

A person who acts very important but is not

An island off southern Alaska that has large brown bears

An island in central Hawaii with pineapple farms and quiet beaches

An island in the southeast of New York City that forms the main part of Manhattan

A Hawaiian island known for beautiful beaches, mountains, and tourist spots

An island in Hawaii between Maui and Oahu known for natural beauty

A large area of floating trash in the ocean carried there by currents

An island at the entrance of Galveston Bay off the Texas coast with an old city and beaches

An island in Mexico in the Pacific Ocean west of Baja California with rugged cliffs and rare wildlife

An island in Hawaii that is the largest and known for volcanoes and black sand beaches

island dispenser
  • Specialized
8.6

A pump at a service station that gives fuel to cars from underground tanks

An island in the English Channel near the coast of France that is a British Crown dependency

A quiet place where someone can be alone to think

island time
  • Informal
7.9

A relaxed, slow way of living where schedules are not strict

A relaxed way of living that does not follow strict schedules

An island in Hawaii northwest of Oahu with green mountains and beaches

A small island country in the central Pacific Ocean southwest of Hawaii

An island territory of Australia east of the mainland in the Pacific Ocean once used as a British prison colony

Norfolk Island pine
  • Australian
7.7

A tall evergreen tree from Norfolk Island often grown as a house plant or decoration

Normal Island
  • Informal
9.5

A joking idea of a place where life is usual and quiet

9.9

A New Zealand plant that lives many years and grows on high mountains with white woolly flower heads

An island in Hawaii with the city of Honolulu and many beaches

A small Canadian island province in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence

A thin, soft grass with narrow leaves used for lawns and golf greens

A city in northwest Illinois on the Mississippi River known for its Union prison during the Civil War

A raised area in the road where people wait safely to cross

A large island in southern Japan known for warm weather, beaches, and history

A small uninhabited island near the coast of Morocco claimed by both Morocco and Spain

An earlier name for Nauru, a small island country in the central Pacific

An island off the coast of California known for beaches, resorts, and clear water

A large island in Cape Verde in the Atlantic with towns, volcanic hills, and colonial buildings

sea island cotton
  • Specialized
5.7

A cotton plant that makes very long, soft fibers grown on coastal islands

The main island south of the Malay Peninsula where the city of Singapore is

A kitchen counter with a wooden top for preparing and eating food

How Isolated

to isolate
256 4.2
to island
7.3
to separate
297 1.9

Surface Forms

island infinitive
islanded past
islanded past participle
islanding present participle
islands third person singular

Etymology

To island someone or something comes from the simple image of putting them on an isle and leaving them apart. That is why to island is to separate or isolate someone as if they were on an island.