# isthmus

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɪsθ.məs/ · frequency rank #36,200

## Definitions
1. A narrow strip of land, bordered on both sides by water, and connecting two larger landmasses.
2. Any such narrow part connecting two larger structures.
3. An edge in a graph whose deletion increases the number of connected components of the graph.

## Etymology
Borrowing from Latin isthmus (“a strip of land between two seas”), from Ancient Greek ῐ̓σθμός (ĭsthmós, “neck, narrow passage”), possibly from εἶμῐ (eîmĭ, “to go”). Cognate to Old Norse eið (“isthmus”).

## Common misspellings (11)
`ishtmus`, `issthmus`, `isthhmus`, `isthmmus`, `isthmsu`, `isthmuss`, `isthums`, `istmhus`, `istthmus`, `itshmus`, `sithmus`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/isthmus