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barrier island
noun
: a long broad sandy island lying parallel to a shore that is built up by the action of waves, currents, and winds and that protects the shore from the effects of the ocean
Examples of barrier island in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Seawater plowed into beach communities, dwarfing seawalls on both the Gulf and Intracoastal Waterway sides of the barrier islands, according to University of South Florida Coastal Research Lab director Ping Wang.
—Kathryn Varn, Axios, 22 Oct. 2024
But on players’ Palmetto State barrier island bingo card, Kiawah, Hilton Head, Daufuskie and Pawleys are the squares that get marked most often.
—Mike Dojc, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
The hurricane, which made landfall near Matagorda, Texas, on July 8 as a Category 1 storm, caused significant destruction on the coastline and barrier islands, Shuhab Khan, a professor of geology at the University of Houston, told ABC News.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 1 Nov. 2024
How climate change is threatening homes on North Carolina's barrier islands
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Senior Citizens
James Brown
James Brown is a special correspondent for CBS News.
—James Brown, CBS News, 30 Oct. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1773, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near barrier island
Cite this Entry
“Barrier island.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barrier%20island. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
barrier island
noun
: a long broad sandy island parallel to a shore that is built up by the action of waves, currents, and winds
More from Merriam-Webster on barrier island
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about barrier island
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