Meanings
- One of the US-administered Line Islands.
Pan-American Airways Company has established a 500-watt short-wave station aboard the S. S. Trade Wind, anchored at Kingman reef, a tiny coral atoll 1,067 miles south of Hawaii, on the recently inaugurated air-route between Honolulu, and Auckland, New Zealand.
1938 January 15, Chas. A. Morrison, “Short Waves”, in Radio Guide, volume VII, number 13, Chicago, Ill.: Regal Press, Inc., →OCLC, page 44, column 22 more examples
KINGMAN'S REEF.—The following report in regard to this reef, has been received from the U. S. ship Resaca, Commander Green: August 31st, 1872.—At 1 o'clock, P M, on a wind heading NE 1/2 E, Kingman reef to windward bore SE 1/2 E, distance seven miles, making centre of the reef in lat 6° 27′ 30" N, long 162° 13′ 30" W, which nearly corresponds with the position as given by Capt Kingman. It is certainly a dangerous reef, the discolored water being observed to extend eight or nine miles, the sea combing over the ridge of the reef for a space of about three miles in an ENE and WSW direction. Several patches of white sand and coral were observed from the top even with the water's edge.
1872 October 2 [1872 August 31], Nathaniel Green, quotee, “Marine Journal”, in The Friend, volume 31/21, number 10, Honolulu, page 81, column 3The Penguin left Sydney on April 10th, proceeding by way of Suva Fiji to Palmyra Island, where a party was landed to observe the tides. The steamer then proceeded to the north and made an accurate survey of Kingman reef, which was found to be 60 miles due north of Palmyra Island.
1897 August 7, “Editorial”, in Western Electrician, volume XXI, number 6, Chicago, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 76, columns 2–3Synonyms: Danger Reef, Caldew Reef, Maria Shoal, Crane Shoal
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounOne of the US-administered Line Islands.
Origin
Named according to captain W. E. Kingman who described it in 1853. The reef had been earlier discovered by the American Captain Edmund Fanning in 1798.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Thai คิงแมนรีฟ
- คิงแมนรีฟisland
Cite this entry
Kingman Reef. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Kingman%20Reef
“Kingman Reef.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Kingman%20Reef. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Kingman Reef,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Kingman%20Reef.
Source: Kingman Reef on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.