estuary

noun

es·​tu·​ary ˈes-chə-ˌwer-ē How to pronounce estuary (audio)
ˈesh-
plural estuaries
: a water passage where the tide meets a river current
especially : an arm of the sea at the lower end of a river

Did you know?

A partly enclosed coastal body of water in which river water is mixed with seawater is called an estuary. An estuary is thus defined by salinity rather than geography. Many coastal features designated by other names are in fact estuaries (for instance, Chesapeake Bay). Some of the oldest continuous civilizations have flourished in estuarine environments (for example, the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the Nile delta, and the Ganges delta). Cities such as London (Thames River), New York (Hudson River), and Montreal (St. Lawrence River) developed on estuaries and became important commercial centers.

Examples of estuary in a Sentence

the city sits on the shores of a deep estuary where the Hudson River meets the Atlantic Ocean
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In the heart of coastal Orange County, Newport Harbor is the largest recreational harbor on the West Coast, with plentiful opportunities for sailing around the islands of the complex as well as paddling in the quieter estuaries of Back Bay. Outside Online, 12 July 2024 With the first fragment, Evaristo’s poem somehow takes us to estuaries as metaphor for spaces of encounter, spaces of survival, spaces wherein humanity could learn a lot. Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 24 Oct. 2024 Situated on the banks of the Tagus River estuary, the water’s edge is always nearby. Wendy Altschuler, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024 During the earlier low tide shortly before 11:30 a.m., the marine mammal rescue team, while on foot, attempted to herd the dolphins out of the estuary and into the deeper waters offshore, according to the fund. Raja Razek, CNN, 28 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for estuary 

Word History

Etymology

Latin aestuarium, from aestus boiling, tide; akin to Latin aestas summer — more at edify

First Known Use

1538, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of estuary was in 1538

Dictionary Entries Near estuary

Cite this Entry

“Estuary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/estuary. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

estuary

noun
es·​tu·​ary ˈes-chə-ˌwer-ē How to pronounce estuary (audio)
plural estuaries
: a passage where the tide meets a river current
especially : an arm of the sea at the lower end of a river
estuarine
ˈes-chə-wə-ˌrīn
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on estuary

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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