land bridge

noun

1. Geology. an actual or hypothetical strip of land, subject to submergence, that connects adjacent continental landmasses and serves as a route of dispersal for plants and animals:

   a prehistoric land bridge between Asia and North America.

2. a transcontinental rail route between countries, as those in Europe and East Asia, considered faster and less costly than all-sea routes.

land bridge

noun

1. (in zoogeography) a connecting tract of land between two continents, enabling animals to pass from one continent to the other

Word History and Origins

Origin of land bridge¹

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

At some point, however, Tehran may fear that a raging war in Lebanon would cut off its valuable land bridge to the Mediterranean Sea, a mighty incentive for keeping the conflict at bay.

From Los Angeles Times

However, once North America rejoined South America, other animals such as saber-toothed cats crossed the land bridge, which may have brought about the demise of giant rodents.

From Salon

This land bridge became the ancient equivalent of a congested highway a few million years later, with traffic flowing in both directions.

From Science Daily

"What interested us about looking at rocks of this age is this is roughly the time that people think of as the beginning of the Bering Land Bridge -- the connection between Asia and North America," he said.

From Science Daily

It dates to roughly 94 million to 113 million years ago in the mid-Cretaceous Period and about when the Bering Land Bridge began.

From Science Daily