peninsula
Definitions
A long piece of land that sticks out into the sea and is almost surrounded by water.
半岛（伸入海中、三面环水、一端连陆的狭长陆地）。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedLatin paene (almost) + insula (island) = 'almost an island.' Water nearly surrounds it, but a narrow neck of land keeps it joined to the mainland (Italy, Florida, Korea). The pen- here means 'almost,' the same as in penultimate — not the writing pen.
Root insul still carries 7 more wordsWhy It Means This
Peninsula hides a tiny Latin word most people miss: paene, 'almost.' Combine it with insula, 'island,' and you get 'almost an island' — a perfect description of land that water surrounds on three sides but can't fully cut off. Spot paene and you also unlock penultimate ('almost the last') and penumbra ('almost a shadow').
Common Collocations
- 1.Arabian Peninsula阿拉伯半岛
- 2.Korean Peninsula朝鲜半岛
- 3.Iberian Peninsula伊比利亚半岛
- 4.rocky peninsula多岩半岛
Example Sentences
- 1.
Italy forms a long boot-shaped peninsula stretching into the Mediterranean.
- 2.
The fishing village sits at the tip of a rocky peninsula.
- 3.
Oil reserves on the Arabian Peninsula reshaped the region's economy.