Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • A historical immigration station: Ellis Island is an island in New York Harbor that served as the main entry point for immigrants to the United States from 1892 to 1954. It is a major symbol of American immigration history.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • My great-grandparents arrived in America through Ellis Island.
  • Ellis Island is now a museum dedicated to immigration history.
  • Over 12 million immigrants were processed at Ellis Island.

Advanced Usage

• "Ellis Island experience": Refers to the process of immigration inspection and the hopeful yet often difficult arrival in a new country.

  • Her family's Ellis Island experience was one of both anxiety and relief.

• "Ellis Island records": Refers to the archival documents containing information about immigrants who passed through the station.

  • Genealogists often search Ellis Island records to trace their ancestry.

Variants and Related Words

• Immigration station (n): A place where arriving immigrants are processed.
• Port of entry (n): An official location where people and goods can enter a country.

Synonyms

• Gateway: (in this historical context) A point of entry.
• Immigration center: A facility for processing new arrivals.

Related Phrases

• To pass through Ellis Island: To undergo the immigration inspection process there.
  • Millions of Europeans passed through Ellis Island in search of a better life.

Related Idioms

• "Ellis Island of the [region/era]": A metaphorical phrase used to describe a primary or famous entry point for a group of people during a specific time.
  • The city's old train station was the Ellis Island of the Great Migration for many southern families.

Noun

1. an island in New York Bay that was formerly the principal immigration station for the United States
   • some twelve millions immigrants passed through Ellis Island