An isle is an island; often used as part of an island's name, or in literary English.
...the paradise isle of Bali.
...the Isle of Man.
isle in British English
(aɪl)
noun
an island, esp a small one: used in literature and (when cap.) in place names
Word origin
C13: from Old French isle, from Latin insula island
isle in American English
(aɪl)
noun
an island, esp., a small island
poetic except as part of a place name
Word origin
ME ile < OFr ile, earlier isle < ML isla, contr. < L insula < ? (terra) in salo, (land) in the sea < salum, sea: the form isle became general in the Renaissance, infl. by L insula
Examples of 'isle' in a sentence
isle
Luck begins with a call from a holiday isle.
The Sun (2012)
An inquest on the holiday isle recorded a verdict of accidental death.
The Sun (2006)
Eat in this way and you will return from any Greek isle with your figure intact.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The case has caused outrage in the Mediterranean holiday isle.
The Sun (2011)
Spanish police arrested him on the holiday isle and took him to Madrid.
The Sun (2012)
Filming is due to begin soon on the holiday isle of Malta.
The Sun (2006)
The trial on the Greek holiday isle had to be temporarily halted as she fainted in the witness box and was escorted out.
The Sun (2010)
It made its unscheduled landing midway through the trip on the Indonesian holiday isle of Bali.
The Sun (2015)
He might have kicked off life from humble beginnings on the tiny sunshine isle of Madeira off the coast of Africa.
The Sun (2014)
And until now she has kept her desert island discs firmly away from cameras on holiday on the isle of St Barts.
The Sun (2008)
In other languages
isle
British English: isle NOUN
An isle is an island; often used as part of an island's name, or in literary English.
...the paradise isle of Bali.
American English: isle
Brazilian Portuguese: ilha
Chinese: 岛用于岛名或文学作品中
European Spanish: isla
French: île
German: Insel
Italian: isola
Japanese: 島
Korean: 섬
European Portuguese: ilha
Latin American Spanish: isla
All related terms of 'isle'
Fair Isle
an intricate multicoloured pattern knitted with Shetland wool into various garments , such as sweaters
Apple Isle
→ the Apple Isle
Belle Isle
an island in the Atlantic , at the N entrance to the Strait of Belle Isle , between Labrador and Newfoundland . Area: about 39 sq km (15 sq miles)
Black Isle
→ the Black Isle
Isle Royale
an island in the northeast US, in NW Lake Superior : forms, with over 100 surrounding islands, Isle Royale National Park . Area: 541 sq km (209 sq miles)
Emerald Isle
→ Ireland
Isle of Dogs
a district in the East End of London , bounded on three sides by the River Thames , and a focus of major office development ( Canary Wharf ) in recent years
Isle of Man
an island in the British Isles , in the Irish Sea between Cumbria and Northern Ireland: a British Crown Dependency (but not part of the United Kingdom ), with its own ancient parliament , the Court of Tynwald ; a dependency of Norway until 1266, when for a time it came under Scottish rule; its own language, Manx , became extinct in the 19th century but has been revived to some extent . Capital: Douglas . Pop: 86 159 (2013 est). Area: 588 sq km (227 sq miles)
Isle of France
→ Île-de-France
Isle of Pines
→ the former name of (Isle of) Youth
Isle of Thanet
an island in SE England, in NE Kent , separated from the mainland by two branches of the River Stour : scene of many Norse invasions . Area: 109 sq km (42 sq miles)
Isle of Wight
an island and county of S England in the English Channel . Administrative centre: Newport . Pop: 136 300 (2003 est). Area: 380 sq km (147 sq miles)
Isle of Youth
an island in the NW Caribbean , south of Cuba : administratively part of Cuba from 1925. Chief town: Nueva Gerona . Pop: 80 600 (2002 est). Area: 3061 sq km (1182 sq miles)
the Apple Isle
Tasmania
the Black Isle
a peninsula in NE Scotland, in Highland council area, between the Cromarty and Moray Firths
Isle of Portland
a rugged limestone peninsula in SW England , in Dorset , connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus and by Chesil Bank : the lighthouse of Portland Bill lies at the S tip ; famous for the quarrying of Portland stone , a fine building material . Pop ( town ): 12 000 ( latest est)
Isle of Sheppey
an island in SE England, off the N coast of Kent in the Thames estuary : separated from the mainland by The Swale , a narrow channel . Chief towns: Sheerness , Minster . Pop: 37 852 (2001 est). Area: 80 sq km (30 sq miles)
Villiers de l'Isle Adam
August , Comte de ( oɡyst , kɔ̃t də ). 1838–89, French poet and dramatist; pioneer of the symbolist movement. His works include Contes cruels (1883) and the play Axel (1885)
Rouget de Lisle
Claude Joseph ( klod ʒozɛf ). 1760–1836, French army officer : composer of the Marseillaise (1792), the French national anthem