Calais

¹ American  

[kuh-ley-is] / kəˈleɪ ɪs /

Or Kalais

noun

Classical Mythology.

1. the winged son of Boreas the north wind. As Argonauts he and his brother Zetes chased away the Harpies.

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Calais ² American  

[kal-ey, ka-ley, kal-is, ka-le] / ˈkæl eɪ, kæˈleɪ, ˈkæl ɪs, kaˈlɛ /

noun

1. a seaport in N France, on the Strait of Dover: the French port nearest England.

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Calais British  

/ kalɛ, ˈkæleɪ /

noun

1. a port in N France, on the Strait of Dover: the nearest French port to England; belonged to England 1347–1558. Pop: 77 333 (1999)

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Example Sentences

In 1890, at Gravelines, just north of Calais, he painted four spare, gloriously luminous views that capture its canal’s sweeping vistas and endless skies, and all of them are here.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

But if the main issue was the territorial integrity of France, why not end in 1558, when the last English foothold of Calais was recovered?

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026

The two men, who were broadcasting live videos from the French coast, were arrested near the northern town of Calais on Sunday evening, said Francois-Xavier Lauch, prefect of Pas-de-Calais.

From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026

A so-called "taxi-boat" was boarded by French officers on Saturday on the Aa canal in Gravelines, which is on the Channel coast above Calais.

From BBC • Jan. 20, 2026

Olympic team arrives in Berlin That night they sailed up the channel with the lights of Calais blazing brightly to the east.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown