estuary
noun
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A partly enclosed coastal body of water in which river water is mixed with seawater is called an estuary. An estuary is thus defined by salinity rather than geography. Many coastal features designated by other names are in fact estuaries (for instance, Chesapeake Bay). Some of the oldest continuous civilizations have flourished in estuarine environments (for example, the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the Nile delta, and the Ganges delta). Cities such as London (Thames River), New York (Hudson River), and Montreal (St. Lawrence River) developed on estuaries and became important commercial centers.
Examples of estuary in a Sentence
Amy Green, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
By removing invasive plants, the estuary’s ecosystem should be able to support tidal mudflats, salt marshes and shallow freshwater habitats that could host a wide diversity of fish and wildlife species, Ed Almanza, the foundation’s vice-chair and program manager, said.
—Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 8 Jan. 2026
The great Amazon in its north drains large areas as does the Parana-River Plate watershed to its south that reaches the Atlantic in the estuary between Argentina and Uruguay, The San Francisco flows north for hundreds of miles before hooking a right and dropping to the Atlantic.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 4 Jan. 2026
The bridge connects parts of the region fragmented by the undulating sea coast and river estuaries, and is the only main route towards Moldova's border crossings to the west.
—Yuliia Dysa, USA Today, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for estuary
Cite this Entry
“Estuary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/estuary. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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estuary
noun
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