Two small islands with a surrounding coral atoll, in the central Pacific in the western part of the Hawaiian chain. The islands were annexed by the US in 1867 and remain a US territory and naval base. They were the scene in 1942 of the decisive Battle of Midway, in which the US navy repelled a Japanese invasion fleet.
Definition of Midway Islands in US English:
Midway Islands
proper noun
Two small islands, in the central Pacific Ocean, in the western part of the Hawaiian chain, surrounded by a coral atoll. The islands were annexed by the US in 1867 and remain a US territory and naval base. They were the scene of the decisive Battle of Midway in 1942, in which Japanese expansion in the Pacific Ocean was ended.