Meanings
islay1
plural islays
- Prunus ilicifolia, a traditional Native American food plant in southern California.
Synonyms: hollyleaf cherry, evergreen cherry
Islay2
- The southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides in Argyll and Bute council area, Scotland.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounPrunus ilicifolia, a traditional Native American food plant in southern California.
More synonyms by meaning
nounCalifornia evergreen wild plum with spiny leathery leaves and white flowers
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
islay · noun
- Spanishislay
- Englishislay
Borrowed from Spanish islay.
More words from Spanish
Full word history & related roots →Islay · proper noun
- Scottish GaelicÌle
- EnglishIslay
Derived from Scottish Gaelic Ìle, but probably ultimately of non-Indo-European (substrate) origin, along with other uncertain names in Scotland such as Skye, Lewis, and Arran. Watson (1926) hinted that a Proto-Brythonic/Proto-Celtic root connected to Gaulish *ilio (“flank, buttock”) or Welsh ilio (“to ferment”) might be behind the name. The silent s in this word, as in island, is due to an unetymological association with isle.
More words from Scottish Gaelic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Scottish Gaelic Ìle
- Ìleisland of the Inner Hebrides
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
islay. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/islay
“islay.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/islay. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “islay,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/islay.
Source: islay on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.