Peninsula

Etymology

Latin paeninsula, from paene almost + insula island

• Date: 1538

Definition

• a portion of land nearly surrounded by water and connected with a larger body by an isthmus; also : a piece of land jutting out into the water whether with or without a well-defined isthmus

Description

In many Germanic languages, peninsulas are called "half-islands". A peninsula can also be a headland (head), cape, island promontory, bill, point, or spit. Note that a point is generally considered a tapering piece of land projecting into a body of water that is less prominent than a cape.