British West Indies

A historic term for the British island colonies in the West Indies. Most of the islands gained their independence in the late 20th century; a few, such as the Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands, remain British territories.

British West Indies

pl n (Placename) a former name for the states in the Caribbean that are members of the Commonwealth: the Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts-Nevis, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; along with the islands which remain as United Kingdom dependencies: Anguilla, the Cayman Islands, Montserrat, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the British Virgin Islands

Brit′ish West` In′dies

n.pl. (formerly) the possessions of Great Britain in the West Indies. Compare West Indies (def. 2).

Thesaurus

Noun

British West Indies - the islands in the West Indies that were formerly under British control, including the Bahamas, Saint Lucia, Antigua, Grenada, Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidadthe Indies, West Indies - the string of islands between North America and South America; a popular resort areaBritish Empire - a former empire consisting of Great Britain and all the territories under its control; reached its greatest extent at the end of World War I; it included the British Isles, British West Indies, Canada, British Guiana; British West Africa, British East Africa, India, Australia, New Zealand; "the sun never sets on the British Empire"

British West Indies