Meaning & use
isthmus
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountabletechnical
A narrow strip of land with water on both sides that joins two larger areas of land.
Grammar: Countable; the t is often silent, so it is pronounced iss-mus.
Patterns
- the isthmus of somewhere
The Isthmus of Panama joins North and South America.
The railway crosses a narrow isthmus.
Waves lapped both sides of the isthmus.
nouncountablebiologymedical
A narrow band of tissue connecting two larger parts of an organ or body structure.
Grammar: A technical anatomical use.
Patterns
- isthmus of something
The thyroid has a narrow isthmus.
Doctors checked the isthmus of the uterus.
The scan showed the isthmus clearly.
Word forms
| plural | isthmuses |
|---|---|
| plural | isthmi |
Common combinations
- narrow isthmus
- The village sits on a narrow isthmus.
- Isthmus of Panama
- Ships once crossed the Isthmus of Panama by rail.
- cross the isthmus
- Travelers cross the isthmus by bridge.
- isthmus of land
- A thin isthmus of land joins the island to the shore.
Synonyms and how they differ
- land bridge
- A land bridge may be a prehistoric strip of land that is now underwater, not just a present connection.
- neck
- Neck is a plainer word for a narrow strip of land.
- spit
- A spit is a strip of land sticking into water but joined only at one end.
- tombolo
- A tombolo is a sandbar joining an island to the mainland, a more specific term.
Word family
- isthmian adjective
- relating to an isthmus
- isthmi noun
- the Latin plural
- peninsula noun
- land surrounded by water on three sides
Commonly confused: isthmus or peninsula?
isthmus vs peninsula
A peninsula is attached to land at one end only, while an isthmus links two landmasses.
Practice
Which describes an isthmus?
Choose one answer.
An isthmus connects two larger pieces of land. Three sides of water describes a peninsula.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “isthmus”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.