Word Study
archipelago
CIDE DICTIONARY
archipelago, n. [It. arcipelago, properly, chief sea; Gr. pref + sea, perh. akin to blow, and expressing the beating of the waves. See Plague.].
- The Grecian Archipelago, or Ægean Sea, separating Greece from Asia Minor. It is studded with a vast number of small islands. [1913 Webster]
- Hence: Any sea or broad sheet of water interspersed with many islands or with a group of islands. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
archipelago, n. (pl. -os or -oes)
1 a group of islands.
2 a sea with many islands.
1 a group of islands.
2 a sea with many islands.
Etymology
It. arcipelago f. Gk arkhi- chief + pelagos sea (orig. = the Aegean Sea)
THESAURUS
archipelago
ait, atoll, bar, cay, continental island, coral head, coral island, coral reef, holm, insularity, island, island group, islandology, isle, islet, key, oceanic island, reef, sandbank, sandbarROGET THESAURUS
archipelago
Island
N island, isle, islet, eyot, ait, holf, reef, atoll, breaker, archipelago, islander, insular, seagirt, archipelagic, Fluids in Motion.For further exploring for "archipelago" in Webster Dictionary Online