estuary
noun
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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.
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Examples of estuary in a Sentence
Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024
The estuary already has a long list of non-native species, including bass, water hyacinth, Asian clams and overbite clams.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2024
On the banks of a North Sea estuary in the Highlands of Scotland, a 181-year-old Whisky Distillery is marking a ten-year environmental achievement: the introduction of 112,000 Native European Flat oysters into the Dornoch Firth.
—Louise Schiavone, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Oil spills would blacken beaches and contaminate estuaries where fish breed.
—Frank Knapp, Sun Sentinel, 21 Aug. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Estuary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/estuary. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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estuary
noun
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