Mid·way Islands  (mĭd'wā')  Two small islands and a surrounding coral atoll in the central Pacific Ocean northwest of Honolulu. Discovered in 1859, they were annexed by the United States in 1867 and remain a U.S. territory with an important naval base. A decisive World War II Allied victory in the Battle of Midway (June 3-6, 1942) was a major turning point in the war in the Pacific. |
| midway islands | |
noun | |
| an atoll in the Hawaiian Islands some 1300 miles to the northwest of Honolulu; site of an important United States naval base |