Meanings
proper noun
alternative Y
- A lake (formerly a bay) adjoining the city of Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Velsen, a considerable Roman garrison, was not far away; moreover, for centuries the windy IJ formed part of the northern border of the Roman Empire.
1999, Geert Mak, translated by Philipp Blom, Amsterdam: A brief life of the city, Vintage, published 2001, page 9
Origin
- DutchIJ
- DutchIJ
- EnglishIJ
(lake): Borrowed from Dutch IJ.
More words from Dutch
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with IJ
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
IJ. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/IJ
MLA
“IJ.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/IJ. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “IJ,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/IJ.
Source: IJ on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.