Illustration of atoll
: a coral island consisting of a reef surrounding a lagoon
Did you know?
If you are lucky enough to sail south and west of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean, you'll find the Maldives, a group of about 1,200 coral islands and sandbanks that form the Republic of Maldives. Many islands in that independent nation demonstrate the archetypal atoll, and geographers often use them to point out the characteristic features of such coral islands. Given how prevalent atolls are there, it isn't surprising that atoll comes from the name for that kind of island in Divehi, the official language of the Maldives.
Examples of atoll in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Hundreds of cays and atolls with colorful coral beneath the turquoise waters dot the Caribbean coastline.
—
Melissa Locker, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2024
Another Coast Guard asset, an HC-130J Hercules aircraft based out of Air Station Barbers Point in Hawaii, flow over the atoll and located the fishermen, dropping a radio to establish communication, the Coast Guard said.
—Greg Wehner, Fox News, 12 Apr. 2024
The next day, the team flew over the atoll, and saw something written on the sand.
—Irene Wright, Sacramento Bee, 11 Apr. 2024
Over the last two decades China has occupied a number of reefs and atolls across the South China Sea, building up military installations, including runways and ports.
—Brad Lendon, CNN, 12 Aug. 2023
What happens among the tiny islands, reefs and atolls of this corner of the globe could have profound international repercussions and become a major global flashpoint.
—Rebecca Wright, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024
Residents of the Marshall Islands have already felt the cost of living with radioactive waste: Several atolls remain uninhabitable, and radiation has resulted in cancer and other negative health consequences for Marshallese, as well as enormous disturbances to traditional food-gathering practices.
—Tara Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024
My scientist friend Frances had to hand over her pear; bananas, which can carry a contagious plant ailment, will not be found in the atoll’s fruit baskets.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024
As a simple, robust mobile platform, an SLV is an ideal means to help the Philippines reinforce their presence at contested atolls in the South China Sea or elsewhere.
—Craig Hooper, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
Melissa Locker, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2024
Another Coast Guard asset, an HC-130J Hercules aircraft based out of Air Station Barbers Point in Hawaii, flow over the atoll and located the fishermen, dropping a radio to establish communication, the Coast Guard said.
—Greg Wehner, Fox News, 12 Apr. 2024
The next day, the team flew over the atoll, and saw something written on the sand.
—Irene Wright, Sacramento Bee, 11 Apr. 2024
Over the last two decades China has occupied a number of reefs and atolls across the South China Sea, building up military installations, including runways and ports.
—Brad Lendon, CNN, 12 Aug. 2023
What happens among the tiny islands, reefs and atolls of this corner of the globe could have profound international repercussions and become a major global flashpoint.
—Rebecca Wright, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024
Residents of the Marshall Islands have already felt the cost of living with radioactive waste: Several atolls remain uninhabitable, and radiation has resulted in cancer and other negative health consequences for Marshallese, as well as enormous disturbances to traditional food-gathering practices.
—Tara Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024
My scientist friend Frances had to hand over her pear; bananas, which can carry a contagious plant ailment, will not be found in the atoll’s fruit baskets.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024
As a simple, robust mobile platform, an SLV is an ideal means to help the Philippines reinforce their presence at contested atolls in the South China Sea or elsewhere.
—Craig Hooper, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'atoll.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near atoll
Cite this Entry
“Atoll.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atoll. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
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