Danish West Indies pl n (Placename) the former possession of Denmark in the W Lesser Antilles, sold to the US in 1917. Name since 1917: Virgin Islands of the United States Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014Vir?gin Is?lands of the Unit?ed States? n.pl. a group of islands in the West Indies, including St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix: purchased from Denmark 1917. 110,000; 133 sq. mi. (345 sq. km). Cap.: Charlotte Amalie. Formerly, Danish West Indies. Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.