Main Entry:

es·tu·ary

Pronunciation:

\ˈes-chə-ˌwer-ē, ˈesh-\

Function:

noun

Inflected Form(s):

plural es·tu·ar·ies

Etymology:

Latin aestuarium, from aestus boiling, tide; akin to Latin aestas summer — more at edify

Date:

1538

: a water passage where the tide meets a river current ; especially : an arm of the sea at the lower end of a river