Definition

Proper noun A prominent headland or cape located on Hatteras Island, along the Atlantic coast of North Carolina, USA. It is historically notorious for dangerous maritime conditions.

Usage

This term is used as a specific geographic name. It typically functions as the object of a preposition or as a subject/object referring to the location itself. * The lighthouse at Cape Hatteras is a famous landmark. * Cape Hatteras is known as the "Graveyard of the Atlantic." * They sailed past Cape Hatteras on their journey north.

Advanced Usage

• "The waters off Cape Hatteras": A common phrase used to describe the particularly treacherous sea area surrounding the cape.
  • The storm was most fierce in the waters off Cape Hatteras.
• "Cape Hatteras National Seashore": The name of the protected national park area that includes the cape.
  • We camped within the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Variants and Related Words

• Hatteras Island: The barrier island on which Cape Hatteras is located.
• Outer Banks: The chain of barrier islands in North Carolina that includes Hatteras Island.

Synonyms

• Headland
• Promontory
• Point (in a general geographic sense)

Related Phrases

• "Graveyard of the Atlantic": A well-known nickname for Cape Hatteras and the surrounding waters, referencing the many shipwrecks caused by its storms, shoals, and currents.
  • The area earned the nickname "Graveyard of the Atlantic" for a reason.

Noun

1. a promontory on Hatteras Island off the Atlantic coast of North Carolina
   • frequent storms drive ships to their destruction on Cape Hatteras