landmass

noun

land·​mass ˈland-ˌmas How to pronounce landmass (audio)
: a large area of land
continental landmasses

Examples of landmass in a Sentence

the islands of Ireland and Great Britain were once part of the Eurasian landmass
Recent Examples on the Web Arguably, such destruction would be the most outsized achievement in human history: the total landmass of the moon is about the same as Asia. David W. Brown, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 The Barry Glacier has significantly retreated and left behind an unsupported fjord wall, or the slope of rock or ice rising up from the water to the top of the landmass. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 22 Feb. 2024 Pakistan’s Baluchistan province comprises more than a third of the nation’s landmass but just 5 percent of its overall population. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 19 Jan. 2024 Fossils were also key to helping scientists figure out that the world used to be one whole landmass, the supercontinent Pangea, which slowly split up into seven continents. Sofia Quaglia, Discover Magazine, 21 Dec. 2023 In World War I, World War II, and the Cold War, autocracies in Eurasia sought global primacy by achieving preeminence within that central landmass. Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 The long arc of time, the view through history's magical mists, from its Russian peaks, across the endless landmass, acts as inspiration and intoxication to his audience. Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2024 Separating the north and south portions of Pangea’s single landmass was an enormous desert. Jeanne Timmons, Ars Technica, 16 Aug. 2023 This chain of volcanic islands sits on the boundary of the Southern and Atlantic Oceans, closer to Antarctica or the southern tip of South America than pretty much any other landmass. Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 30 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'landmass.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of landmass was in 1856

Dictionary Entries Near landmass

Cite this Entry

“Landmass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/landmass. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

landmass

noun
land·​mass -ˌmas How to pronounce landmass (audio)
: a large area of land

More from Merriam-Webster on landmass

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