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
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This little isthmus also brims with rainforests and jungles teeming with all manner of beautiful and exotic wildlife—Panama is home to more than 940 species of birds as well as 220 mammals and 354 reptiles and amphibians. Kathleen Peddicord, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024 Assos Assos is one more must-see spot on the island with cheerful pastel homes built on an isthmus that measures just 164 feet across. Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2024 Panama is a 480-mile-long strip of land, known as the isthmus, that extends from Costa Rica to Colombia, separating the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Ken Silverstein, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024 The challenge for the SNP will be to stay atop the narrow isthmus between touting multiculturalism and democracy and claiming that these values are best realized outside a kingdom where both are already sacred. Charles King, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2012 See all Example Sentences for isthmus 

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 25 Dec. 2024.

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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