Verrazano Narrows
1
8.2
- noun
- /ˌvɛrəˈzɑːnoʊ ˈnɛroʊz/
- As we sailed through the Verrazano Narrows, the stunning skyline of Manhattan came into view.
- Verrazano Narrows Bridge
Examples
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For less than the cleanup cost of Sandy, NYC could build a barrier across the Verrazano Narrows (plus two other cheaper barriers).
Blog text (14) -
It's right on the Verrazano Narrows.
Blog text (27) -
There is an opaque haze of grit and fog drifting its way up from the Verrazano Narrows.
Fiction book (1991) -
The Verrazano Narrows separates Staten Island from Brooklyn, making it a crucial waterway in New York City.
-
The fishing boats often gather near the Verrazano Narrows, taking advantage of the rich tidal waters.
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a place name composed of the proper name 'Verrazano' and 'narrows' (a narrow waterway); a B1 learner who knows 'narrows' as a narrow channel and recognises 'Verrazano' as a name will readily infer it denotes a narrow channel called Verrazano. The exact geographic boundaries cannot be deduced from the words alone, but the core meaning 'a narrow tidal channel' is transparently derived from the constituents.
Etymology
Verrazano Narrows is named after the explorer Verrazano, and the word narrows means a thin channel of water between two pieces of land. He sailed into this narrow entrance, so the name now refers to the 'narrow channel' between Staten Island and Brooklyn.