Madeira1
Pronunciation: /məˈdɪərə/
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Definition of Madeira
- 1an island in the Atlantic Ocean off NW Africa, the largest of the Madeiras, a group of islands which constitutes an autonomous region of Portugal; population 247,161 (2007); capital, Funchal. Encountered by the Portuguese in 1419, the islands were occupied by the Spanish 1580–1640 and the British 1807–14.
Origin:
Portuguese, literally 'timber' (from Latin materia 'substance'), because of the island's dense woods
