dune

noun

ˈdün 

also ˈdyün

: a hill or ridge of sand piled up by the wind

dunelike

ˈdün-ˌlīk 

also ˈdyün-

adjective

Examples of dune in a Sentence

We wandered over the dunes.

Recent Examples on the Web

Explore the dunes on a Bactrian camel and visit a local nomadic family to learn more about life in the Gobi and the traditions that continue to shape the region. — Undraa Buyannemekh, Travel + Leisure, 22 July 2026

Titan is a geologically active world cloaked in an atmosphere denser than Earth's, its landscape shaped by seas of liquid methane and vast dunes built from organic particles that rain out of its skies. — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 20 July 2026

White Sands National Park, located less than an hour’s drive southwest of Ruidoso, stays open late each month on the night of the full moon so visitors can experience the radiance of the dunes under lunar glow. — Allison Savage Bates, Denver Post, 19 July 2026

Then, faced with a blind shot from an uphill lie at the bottom of one of Royal Birkdale’s dunes, Scheffler surprisingly took out a 3-wood. — Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 19 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, from Old French, from Middle Dutch; akin to Old English dūn down — more at down

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing dune

• dune buggy
• sand dune

Rhymes for dune

• boon
• brune
• coon
• croon
• goon
• hewn
• hoon
• june
• loon
• moon
• noon
• poon

Kids Definition

dune

noun

ˈd(y)ün 

: a hill or ridge of sand piled up by the wind