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.
While all rooms and suites at the hotel have stunning sea views across to the tiny islet of Palaiosouda; the villas, which are perched high above the property, have wilder, uninterrupted panoramas and are set slightly apart from the main hub of the hotel, for an elevated feel. Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025 Working with the spleens of primates (macaques), the team engineered microenvironments within the test organs to support human pancreatic islets. Discover Magazine, 23 May 2025 Guests can also jet off to the private islet of Motu Tapu for a picnic in the water. Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 19 June 2025 The latest incursion started before dawn on Friday, when two Chinese Coast Guard ships entered territorial waters around the islet of Minamikojima, apparently chasing a much smaller Japanese fishing boat. David Pierson, New York Times, 27 Mar. 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 18 Jul. 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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