first island chain

proper noun

The first chain of major archipelagos out from the East Asian continental mainland coast. Principally composed of the Kuril Islands, Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan, the northern Philippines, Japan, and Borneo; from the Kamchatka Peninsula to the Malay Peninsula.

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Meanings

first island chain1

proper noun

alternative First Island Chain

  1. geopoliticsThe first chain of major archipelagos out from the East Asian continental mainland coast. Principally composed of the Kuril Islands, Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan, the northern Philippines, Japan, and Borneo; from the Kamchatka Peninsula to the Malay Peninsula.

First Island Chain2

proper noun
  1. Alternative letter-case form of first island chain.

Origin

Calque from Chinese 第一島鏈／第一岛链 (Dìyī dǎoliàn).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 第一島鏈 /第一岛链
  • 第一島鏈 /第一岛链 (Dìyī dǎoliàn)chain of islands
Japanese 第一列島線
  • 第一列島線 (Daīchi Rettō Sen)chain of islands
Korean 제1열도선
  • 제1열도선 (je1yeoldoseon)chain of islands
Cite this entry
APA

first island chain. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/first%20island%20chain

MLA

“first island chain.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/first%20island%20chain. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “first island chain,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/first%20island%20chain.

Source: first island chain on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.