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 Start your adventure at Lovers Key, a collection of barrier islands with two miles of sandy beach. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 7 June 2024 Among the many unspoiled white-sand beaches in Apalachicola and the Forgotten Coast are stretches lining the beautiful barrier island of St. George. Terry Ward, Travel + Leisure, 2 June 2024 Daniel Pullen/The Virginian-Pilot/Tribune News Service via Getty Images North Carolina's coast is almost entirely made up of narrow, low-lying barrier islands that are increasingly vulnerable to storm surges and to being washed over from both the bay and the sea as the planet warms. CBS News, 29 May 2024 In fact, this quiet barrier island once attracted Gilded Age nobility like the Rockefellers, Goodyears, and Vanderbilts, who loved escaping to Jekyll Island's 10 miles of shoreline in the winter. Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 20 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for barrier island 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'barrier island.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1773, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of barrier island was in 1773

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 11 Jun. 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

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