Meaning & use
Saba
Last updated
Meanings
proper nounproper
A small, steep volcanic island in the Caribbean Sea that forms part of the Netherlands as a special municipality.
Grammar: A place name, always capitalized and used without the: she flew to Saba.
Patterns
- on Saba
- to Saba
Saba rises sharply out of the sea and is topped by an extinct volcano.
We took a tiny plane to Saba because the runway is among the shortest in the world.
Divers visit Saba for its clear water and coral reefs.
proper nounproperarchaic
The Arabic and local form of the name Sheba, the ancient kingdom in southern Arabia mentioned in the Bible and the Quran.
Grammar: A historical name, often found in Arabic or scholarly writing.
Patterns
- the kingdom of Saba
Ancient traders from Saba carried incense across the desert.
The queen of Saba appears in old stories about King Solomon.
Common combinations
- the island of Saba
- The island of Saba has fewer than two thousand residents.
- visit Saba
- Many hikers visit Saba to climb Mount Scenery.
- Saba Marine Park
- The Saba Marine Park protects the reefs around the island.
- flights to Saba
- Flights to Saba land on a short runway beside a cliff.
- kingdom of Saba
- The kingdom of Saba was known for its trade in spices.
Synonyms and how they differ
- the Unspoiled Queen
- The Unspoiled Queen is a nickname for the island, and it is used in tourism writing rather than as an ordinary name.
Word family
- Sabans noun
- the people who live on the island of Saba
- Saban adjective
- relating to the island of Saba or its people
Commonly confused: Saba or Sheba? Saba or St. Maarten?
Saba vs Sheba
Sheba is the English spelling of the ancient kingdom and its queen, while Saba usually means the Caribbean island.
Saba vs St. Maarten
St. Maarten is a larger neighboring island in the Caribbean; Saba is a much smaller island with a volcano.
Practice
Saba is best described as which of the following?
Choose one answer.
Saba is a small volcanic island in the Caribbean and part of the Netherlands. The other options name types of places that do not match.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Saba”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.