[muh-jel-uh
n] 
| 1. | Ferdinand, c1480–1521, Portuguese navigator: discoverer of the Straits of Magellan 1520 and the Philippines 1521. |
| 2. | Strait of, a strait near the S tip of South America between the mainland of Chile and Tierra del Fuego and other islands, connecting the Atlantic and the Pacific. 360 mi. (580 km) long; 2 1/2 –17 mi. (4–27 km) wide. |
[maj-uh-lan-ik] , adjective | Ma·gel·lan (mə-jěl'ən) Portuguese navigator. While trying to find a western route to the Moluccas (1519), Magellan and his expedition were blown by storms into the strait that now bears his name (1520). He named and sailed across the Pacific Ocean, reaching the Marianas and the Philippines (1521), where he was killed fighting for a friendly native king. One of his ships returned to Spain (1522), thereby completing the first circumnavigation of the globe. |
| Magellan, Strait of A channel separating South America from Tierra del Fuego and other islands south of the continent and connecting the southern Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Ferdinand Magellan sailed through the strait in October and November 1520. |