estuary
/ˈɛst͡ʃuˌɛɹi/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.26 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
4
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A coastal water body where ocean tides and river water merge, resulting in a brackish water zone.
noun
An ocean inlet also fed by fresh river water.
Example Sentences
- "The railway then follows the widening estuary of the river, which at high tide has the appearance of a lake, but at low water presents a rather cheerless expanse of dark mud."
- "There's something special about tidal estuaries, due to the abundance of wildlife and the ever-changing scenes as the water ebbs or rises. Throw in some moody skies and filtered sunlight, and the views can resemble a painting by Turner - only you don't have to go to the National Gallery to see this, it's brought to your seat on a train."
- "Many of them would move to the new private housing estates springing up further east along the Thames Corridor, where they would learn to 'speak Estuary'."
Etymology
Origin
- Source language: Latin
Word Breakdown
- Root: aestuarium
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈɛst͡ʃuˌɛɹi/
- British English: /ˈɛstjʊəɹi/