isthmus

noun

isth·​mus ˈi-sməs How to pronounce isthmus (audio)
1
: a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas
2
: a narrow anatomical part or passage connecting two larger structures or cavities

Examples of isthmus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The latest screwworm detections in Oaxaca and Veracruz are just beyond the isthmus. Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 27 May 2025 Steamships laden with mail sailed from the East Coast to Panama, where the mail was taken off the ships, transported in canoes or on pack animals, and handed to another steamship waiting on the Pacific side of the isthmus. Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2025 It is only connected to Faial by an isthmus, a narrow strip of land with a dune system. Emese MacZko, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025 Portages across the isthmus of Panama could shorten that, if there was a boat waiting on the Pacific side—all this was more than half a century before the Panama Canal existed. Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 23 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for isthmus

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek isthmos

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of isthmus was in 1555

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Isthmus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/isthmus. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

isthmus

noun
isth·​mus ˈis-məs How to pronounce isthmus (audio)
: a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas

Medical Definition

isthmus

noun
isth·​mus ˈis-məs How to pronounce isthmus (audio)
: a contracted anatomical part or passage connecting two larger structures or cavities: as
a
: an embryonic constriction separating the midbrain from the hindbrain
b
: the lower portion of the uterine corpus

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