fjord

fjord

noun \fē-ˈȯrd, ˈfē-ˌ; ˈfyȯrd\

Definition of FJORD

: a narrow inlet of the sea between cliffs or steep slopes

Variants of FJORD

fjord also fiord \fē-ˈȯrd, ˈfē-ˌ; ˈfyȯrd\

Examples of FJORD

1. <a cruise through the breathtaking fjords along the coast of Norway>

Illustration of FJORD

Origin of FJORD

Norwegian fjord, from Old Norse fjǫrthr — more at ford

First Known Use: 1674

Related to FJORD

Synonyms

arm, bay, bight, cove, creek [chiefly British], embayment, estuary, firth, gulf (also fiord), inlet, loch [Scottish]

Related Words

harbor, port, road(s), roadstead; narrow, sound, strait; bayou; backwater, slough (also slew or slue)

Other Geology Terms

anthracite, boulder, cwm, erratic, igneous, intrusive, mesa, sedimentary, silt, swale

Rhymes with FJORD

aboard, accord, afford, award, backboard, backsword, bargeboard, baseboard, billboard, blackboard, boxboard, breadboard, broadsword, buckboard, cardboard, chalkboard, chessboard, chipboard, clapboard, clipboard, concord, corkboard, dashboard, discord, draft board, duckboard, face cord, flashboard, floorboard, footboard, freeboard, greensward, hardboard, headboard, inboard, keyboard, kickboard, landlord, lapboard, leeboard, matchboard, moldboard, nerve cord, onboard, on board, outboard, packboard, pasteboard, patchboard, patch cord, Peg-Board, pressboard, punchboard, rearward, record, reward, sailboard, scoreboard, seaboard, shipboard, sideboard, signboard, skateboard, slumlord, smallsword, snowboard, soundboard, splashboard, springboard, surfboard, switchboard, tailboard, tote board, untoward, wakeboard, wallboard, warlord, washboard, whiteboard, whipcord, word-hoard

fjord

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Bradshaw Sound, Fiordland, west coast of South Island, New Zealand—Courtesy of the New Zealand Geological Survey; photograph, T. Ulyatt

Long, narrow arm of the sea, often extending well inland, that results from marine inundation of a glaciated valley. Many fjords are remarkably deep; it is assumed that the huge glaciers that formed in these valleys were so heavy that they eroded the bottoms of the valleys far below sea level. After the glaciers melted, the waters of the sea invaded the valleys.

Variants of FJORD

fjord or fiord