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Glite Dictionary
Santa Catalina

Santa Catalina

4.1
An island near the coast of southern California with beaches and tourist activities
  • proper noun
  • /ˈsæntə kəˈtælinə/
translation icon : Santa Catalina
  • We took a ferry from Los Angeles to Santa Catalina for a weekend getaway.

Examples

  • Hundreds of tourists visit Santa Catalina each summer to enjoy its beaches and hiking trails.

  • Santa Catalina is famous for its clear waters and serene landscapes.

  • I visited Santa Catalina last summer.

  • Have you ever been to Santa Catalina?

  • Hundreds of tourists visit Santa Catalina each summer to enjoy its beaches and hiking trails.

  • Santa Catalina is famous for its clear waters and serene landscapes.

  • We took a ferry from Los Angeles to Santa Catalina for a weekend getaway.

Synonyms

Catalina Island
vsSanta Catalina
3.4

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

is known more for its resort facilities and scenic natural beauty
Santa Catalina Island
vsSanta Catalina
4.2

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

focuses more on tourism popularity rather than just general scenery

Surface Forms

Santa Catalina main

Morphology

Santa + Catalina

This is a proper name composed of 'Santa' and 'Catalina' (effectively 'Saint Catherine'), so knowing the constituent words may signal that it is a place name but does not allow a learner to infer the specific sense 'an island resort off California.' The geographic and touristic meaning is arbitrary and must be learned as a lexicalized place name rather than derived from the parts.

Etymology

Santa Catalina was named by early Spanish sailors who used Santa (the Spanish word for 'saint') and Catalina (a form of 'Catherine') to honour 'Saint Catherine'. So the island's name comes from a Spanish saint, which explains why we still call the resort Santa Catalina today.