islet

noun

is·​let ˈī-lət How to pronounce islet (audio)
1
: a little island
2

Examples of islet in a Sentence

landed the boat on a tiny islet that we had all to ourselves
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The resort’s remoteness meant that mainland safaris to baobab forests and lemur sanctuaries required a (pricy) helicopter hop, but there was enough to keep us busy on Nosy Ankao and its neighboring islets. Chris Schalkx, Vogue, 30 Sep. 2025 Cinnamon, for instance, may help improve the function of islets—parts of the pancreas that produce insulin and other hormones that regulate blood sugar. Johna Burdeos, Health, 22 Sep. 2025 The uninhabited islet group in the East China Sea, the Senkaku Islands, is administered by Japan but claimed by China as part of its territory, which is known as the Diaoyu Islands. Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025 The channel forked into a series of smaller canals, each branching farther or looping around islets or petering out into dead ends. Nathaniel Rich, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for islet

Word History

First Known Use

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of islet was in 1538

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Islet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/islet. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

islet

noun
is·​let ˈī-lət How to pronounce islet (audio)
1
: a little island
2

Medical Definition

islet

noun
is·​let ˈī-lət How to pronounce islet (audio)
: a small isolated mass of one type of tissue within a different type
specifically : islet of langerhans

More from Merriam-Webster on islet

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