# these islands

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. The archipelago in the North Atlantic comprising Great Britain, Ireland and surrounding islands.
2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see these, islands.

## Etymology
Circumlocution to avoid the word British in the phrase British Isles.

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