Gibraltar

[ ji-brawl-ter ]

noun

1. a British crown colony comprising a fortress and seaport located on a narrow promontory near the southern tip of Spain. 1.875 sq. mi. (5 sq. km).
2. Rock of Gibraltar.
   1. Ancient Calpe [kal, -pee]. a long, precipitous mountain nearly coextensive with this colony: one of the Pillars of Hercules. 1,396 feet (426 meters) high; 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) long.
   2. any person or thing that has strength and endurance that can be relied on.
3. Strait of Gibraltar, a strait between Europe and Africa at the Atlantic entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. 8.5–23 miles (14–37 kilometers) wide.
4. any impregnable fortress or stronghold.

Gibraltar

/ dʒɪˈbrɔːltə /

noun

1. City of Gibraltar
   a city on the Rock of Gibraltar, a limestone promontory at the tip of S Spain: settled by Moors in 711 and taken by Spain in 1462; ceded to Britain in 1713; a British crown colony (1830–1969), still politically associated with Britain; a naval and air base of strategic importance. Pop: 29 111 (2013 est). Area: 6.5 sq km (2.5 sq miles) Ancient nameCalpe
2. Strait of Gibraltar
   a narrow strait between the S tip of Spain and the NW tip of Africa, linking the Mediterranean with the Atlantic

Gibraltar

1. A colony of Britain on the southern coast of Spain .

Notes

Its seeming impregnability as a fortress during several wars led to the saying: “solid as the Rock of Gibraltar.”

Spain has protested British control of Gibraltar, but the dispute has remained unsettled for years.

Location of an important military base; strategically significant because it can be used to keep ships from entering or leaving the Mediterranean Sea .

Located on the Rock of Gibraltar, a huge limestone mass.

Other Words From

• Gi·bral·tar·i·an [ji-brawl-, tair, -ee-, uh, n, jib-rawl-], adjective noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Gibraltar¹

First recorded in 1570–80; from Arabic jabal ṭāriq “Mountain of Tariq,” named after Tariq ibn Ziyad, who led the Omayyad conquest of Spain beginning in 711

Example Sentences

At the time, it was believed the family had links to Spain, Gibraltar, Germany and France.

From BBC

When you’ve won one game - an ugly thing against Gibraltar - in a year then it can be hard to see beyond the present.

From BBC

He called on the government to reassure the people of Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands that the "ill-advised decision" would not impact their sovereignty.

From BBC

Lammy told the Commons the particular circumstances around the Chagos Islands are "not comparable" to other territorial disputes, in particular Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands - which the Spanish and Argentine governments respectively claim rights over.

From BBC

Marine tracking websites suggest the UK’s second aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, was in the Mediterranean, near Gibraltar, so it is likely that the ship in the Channel was the Queen Elizabeth.

From BBC