isthmus

noun

isth·​mus ˈi-sməs How to pronounce isthmus (audio)
1
: a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas
2
: a narrow anatomical part or passage connecting two larger structures or cavities

Examples of isthmus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Things are always moving and grooving on and around the isthmus, from festivals to music performances to countless opportunities for outdoor recreation. Madeline Heim, Journal Sentinel, 26 July 2023 The canal was built from 1904 to 1914 by the United States, which had sole control over the channel across the Panamanian isthmus until 1979. Tara John, CNN, 13 June 2023 Langlade used to be its own island, but now it’s connected by a sand isthmus. Hillary Richards, Travel + Leisure, 28 June 2023 The Chonhar bridge hit overnight is one of just a handful of access roads to Crimea, which is linked to the Ukrainian mainland by a narrow isthmus. Reuters, NBC News, 22 June 2023 The blue lines could be a stamp, a tattoo, an island, a spit, an isthmus, a lake, a mountain of two lopsided circles. Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 3 May 2023 Xerxes also had a massive canal dug through the isthmus of Mount Athos for his ships, and engineers constructed a massive bridge made of boats lashed together across the Hellespont, a narrow canal (though still almost a mile wide at its narrowest) that separates Europe and Asia. Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 19 Dec. 2020 One significant measure involved the creation of a quarantine encampment on the isthmus between Gibraltar and Spain, an area known as the Neutral Ground. Brigit Katz, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2021 Head to the other side of the isthmus (Railay East) for a happening bar scene. Anne Olivia Bauso, Travel + Leisure, 27 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'isthmus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek isthmos

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of isthmus was in 1555

Dictionary Entries Near isthmus

Cite this Entry

“Isthmus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/isthmus. Accessed 22 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

isthmus

noun
isth·​mus ˈis-məs How to pronounce isthmus (audio)
: a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas

Medical Definition

isthmus

noun
isth·​mus ˈis-məs How to pronounce isthmus (audio)
: a contracted anatomical part or passage connecting two larger structures or cavities: as
a
: an embryonic constriction separating the midbrain from the hindbrain
b
: the lower portion of the uterine corpus

More from Merriam-Webster on isthmus

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