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islet

islet

7 6.8
A very small island often in a river or lake
  • noun
  • /ˈaɪlɪt/
translation icon : islote
  • The tour guide took us to a small islet in the middle of the lake.
  • islets and islands

A cormorant dives by, trembling light from the white islet of a star, the sound of ripples.

Examples

  • We spotted a family of birds nesting on the rocky islet by the river.

  • The map showed several tiny islets scattered throughout the bay.

  • I say we head for the islet.

  • We went to this small sandy islet to sit, drink, and talk.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Instead, they hang out inland where there are plants to munch on, but on one islet, S Plaza, that's not the case.

  • The closest of these islets was a mere one and one-half miles from the mainland.

    Academic text (1997)
  • A mile downstream, the Jinga split around a rocky islet, to which Tsutso took the boat.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • From his lighthouse on the islet Le Galiton, Amedee Conti sees an Arab crescent among quieter celestial lights.

    Fiction book (2002)

Synonyms

island
vsislet
1.0

A piece of land completely surrounded by water smaller than a continent

is much smaller and often found in rivers or lakes
isle
vsislet
  • Literature
19 9.0

A small island that often appears in poems or stories

is the literal term for very small land in rivers or lakes
ait
vsislet
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A small island in a river

applies to very small landmasses in rivers or lakes
holm
vsislet
  • Archaic
8.9

A small island in a river or near a larger island

is used for very small sites specifically in rivers or lakes
motu
vsislet
  • Australian
9.9

A small low island often with sand and palm trees in a tropical lagoon

is focused on very small land especially in rivers or lakes
ile
vsislet
  • Archaic
9.9

An old word for an area of land surrounded by water

is narrower, meaning very small land in inland waters

How Big

island
1.0
isle
  • Literature
19 9.0
islet
7 6.8

Surface Forms

islet singular
islets plural

Morphology

islet = isle (semi-transparent) = isle + let

The word is a recognizable diminutive formation meaning 'small isle', though the modern spelling and lexicalized usage make it slightly less direct.

Etymology

Islet is the small form of isle, and the ending -let means 'small', just like in booklet or leaflet. So an islet is literally a 'small island', which helps you remember it is a very small island in a lake, river, or sea.