Iona

American

[ahy-oh-nuh] / aɪˈoʊ nə /

noun

an island in the Hebrides, off the W coast of Scotland: center of early Celtic Christianity.

Iona British

/ aɪˈəʊnə /

noun

an island off the W coast of Scotland, in the Inner Hebrides: site of St Columba's monastery (founded in 563) and an important early centre of Christianity. Area: 854 ha (2112 acres)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Medieval monks in Easter Ross - and not the tiny island of Iona - may have created the intricately decorated 1,200-year-old Book of Kells, according to researchers.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

Iona, who uses a wheelchair to get around, had previously received support at her home.

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026

Iona Grant said NHS Highland told her the arrangement would only be for a few weeks but it has now been almost five months since she was moved to Nairn.

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026

Andie and Iona would rather go their own way than try to keep up with anyone else, and they’re not ashamed of that, no matter how many people tell them that they should be.

From Salon • Feb. 28, 2026

My elementary school was the tiniest of midgets, compared to the giant that was Iona.

From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023