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Definition of Macaronesia in English:

Macaronesia

proper noun

Botany

  • A phytogeographical region comprising the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands, and the Cape Verde Islands in the eastern North Atlantic.

    ‘The flora of Macaronesia, which encompasses five Atlantic archipelagos (Azores, Canaries, Madeira, Cape Verde, and Salvage), is exceptionally rich and diverse.’
    • ‘Only in Macaronesia, protected by the Atlantic Ocean, did they survive.’

Pronunciation

Macaronesia

/ˌmakərōˈnēZHə/ /ˌmækəroʊˈniʒə/

Origin

From Greek makarōn nēsoi ‘islands of the Blessed’ (mythical islands later associated with the Canaries).