en
Greenland
/ˈɡriːnlənd/
Definition
1
The largest island in the world, located in the North Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe, with an area of about 2,166,086 square kilometers; an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.
2
Named by Norse explorer Erik the Red around 985 AD as 'Grœnland' (Green Land) to attract settlers, despite its predominantly icy landscape.
Examples
Greenland's ironic name promises meadows but delivers majestic ice sheets that make Antarctica jealous.
Tourists flock to Greenland expecting emeralds, only to slip on the 'green' ice like clumsy penguins.
In Greenland, locals joke that the green is hiding under two miles of ice, plotting its comeback.
Erik the Red's Greenland branding was the original Viking clickbait, luring settlers to a freezer.