a group of five large interconnected lakes in central North America, consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, and constituting the largest area of fresh water in the world. Lake Michigan is wholly within the US, and the others lie on the Canada-US border. Connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the St Lawrence Seaway, the Great Lakes form an important commercial waterway.
五大湖（北美洲中部彼此相连的五个大湖的总称, 即：苏必利尔湖、密歇根湖、休伦湖、伊利湖及安大略湖, 构成世界最大的淡水水域。密歇根湖完全位于美国境内, 其他四个湖均位于美国和加拿大的边境线上, 为两国共有; 五大湖通过圣劳伦斯航道与大西洋相连, 构成具有重要经济价值的水道）。