Tenerife

or Ten·er·iffe

[ ten-uh-rif, -reef; Spanish te-ne-ree-fe ]

noun

1. the largest of the Canary Islands, off the northwestern coast of Africa. 794 sq. mi. (2,055 sq. km). : Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
2. Pi·co de Tenerife [pee, -koh dey, pee, -kaw , th, e]. Pico de Teide.

Tenerife

/ teneˈrife; ˌtɛnəˈriːf /

noun

1. a Spanish island in the Atlantic, off the NW coast of Africa: the largest of the Canary Islands; volcanic and mountainous; tourism and agriculture. Capital: Santa Cruz. Pop: 778 071 (2002 est). Area: 2058 sq km (795 sq miles)

Word History and Origins

Origin of Tenerife¹

First recorded in 1595–1600; from Guanche (an extinct Berber language spoken on the Canary Islands) tene, teni “mountain” + ife “white,” specifically Mount Teide ( def )

Example Sentences

In Tenerife, a new limit has been introduced on the number of visitors to some natural parks.

From BBC

The funeral of British teenager Jay Slater, who died while on holiday in Tenerife, is being held.

From BBC

The 19-year-old, from Oswaldtwistle, in Lancashire, is believed to have fallen to his death after getting lost in a mountainous area of Tenerife on 17 June.

From BBC

He was a teenager on a first holiday without his parents in Tenerife, like so many Brits this summer.

From BBC

The family of Jay Slater could face a wait of at least a week before they can bring the 19-year-old's body home from Tenerife.

From BBC