Islands of the North Atlantic

== English == === Etymology === Suggested in 1980 by MP John Biggs-Davison as the name for what ultimately became the British-Irish Council, subsequently adopted as a replacement for the contested term British Isles. A contrived acronym suggesting Iona, an island with cultural ties to both Britain and Ireland. === Proper noun === Islands of the North Atlantic pl (rare) Great Britain, Ireland and surrounding smaller islands; the British and Irish Isles. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see islands,‎ North Atlantic. ==== Synonyms ==== Anglo-Celtic Isles British Isles British and Irish Isles these islands