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land mass

land mass

13 2.8
A large area of land that is not separated by water
  • noun
  • /lænd mæs/
: masa de tierra
  • It's the joining of two land masses.
  • land mass on Earth
  • percent of the land mass
  • largest land mass

If sea levels can rise and undersea volcanoes erupt to create new land masses, does that mean Earth is gradually becoming a bigger sphere over time?

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Examples

  • Williams Island was one of hundreds of tiny land masses that made up the Bahamas.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • You're looking at a solid white land mass with ice, snow.

  • Because Canada has the second largest land mass on Earth after Russia and like nobody lives there.

  • In the winter land masses cool out faster, and in the summer they heat up faster than water.

  • With less than 1 percent of the US land mass, Hawaii is home to more than 30 percent of the nation.

    Academic text (2000)
  • The land masses of the Earth have nearly reached their present positions.

  • I believe the Earth's surface is approximately 29% land mass and 71% covered by water.

    Blog text (22)
  • The polar bear is found mainly in the Arctic Circle and the adjacent land masses as far south as Newfoundland island.

  • Seven-eighths of the Earth's land mass will be deluged with hot magma.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Brazil occupies almost half of South America's land mass and is the fifth largest country in the world.

Synonyms

tract
vsland mass
31 5.6

A large area of land not divided into smaller parts

is about being continuous and not separated by water
land area
vsland mass
8 2.7

A piece of land used for a specific purpose like building or farming

refers to a large continuous region not split by water
tract of land
vsland mass
7 4.1

A large area of land used for a certain purpose

focuses on physical continuity rather than intended use
landmass
vsland mass
6 3.4

A large connected area of land that is part of the Earth

is more about being unseparated from surrounding water

How Big

continent
269 1.0
land mass
13 2.8
region
∞ 2.0
field
777 1.0
patch
178 2.7

Surface Forms

land mass singular
land masses plural

Morphology

land + mass

The meaning 'a large, continuous area of land' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'land' (area of earth) with 'mass' (a large bulk or accumulation). This straightforward noun+noun composition follows common compounding patterns across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Land mass gives the image of a big, solid mass of land — a single chunk of ground that is not cut by water. That's why it means 'a large, continuous area of land'.