second island chain

proper noun

The next chain of archipelagos out from the East Asian continental mainland coast, beyond the first island chain. Principally composed of the Bonin Islands, Mariana Islands, Caroline Islands; from Honshu to New Guinea.

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Meanings

second island chain1

proper noun

alternative Second Island Chain

  1. governmentThe next chain of archipelagos out from the East Asian continental mainland coast, beyond the first island chain. Principally composed of the Bonin Islands, Mariana Islands, Caroline Islands; from Honshu to New Guinea.

Second Island Chain2

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

Origin

Calque from Chinese 第二島鏈／第二岛链 (Dì'èr dǎoliàn).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 第二島鏈 /第二岛链
  • 第二島鏈 /第二岛链 (Dì'èr dǎoliàn)chain of islands
Japanese 第二列島線
  • 第二列島線 (Daini Rettō Sen)chain of islands
Korean 제2열도선
  • 제2열도선 (je2yeoldoseon)chain of islands
Cite this entry
APA

second island chain. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/second%20island%20chain

MLA

“second island chain.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/second%20island%20chain. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “second island chain,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/second%20island%20chain.

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