tidewater

noun

tide·​wa·​ter ˈtīd-ˌwȯ-tər 

-ˌwä-

1

: water overflowing land at flood tide

also : water affected by the ebb and flow of the tide

2

: low-lying coastal land

Examples of tidewater in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Early-warning system As climate change accelerates the retreat of tidewater glaciers and thaws the permafrost holding Arctic mountains together, the structural integrity of these landscapes is failing. —Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 10 May 2026

Once a giant excavator bit into the levee to breach it, the tribe welcomed tidewater onto the land for the first time in over a century. —John Ryan, NPR, 3 May 2026

Tracy Arm, southeast of Juneau, is a roughly 30-mile (50-kilometer) fjord that features two tidewater glaciers — the North and South Sawyer — and wildlife, including seals and bears. —ABC News, 12 Apr. 2026

See Kenai Fjords National Park by boat; Major Marine Tours offers full-day wildlife and tidewater glacier tours into the park. —Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 10 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1772, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tidewater

• imprimatur
• underwater
• auteur
• blotter
• cotter
• daughter
• hotter
• mater
• otter
• plotter
• rotter
• slaughter

Kids Definition

tidewater

noun

tide·​wa·​ter -ˌwȯt-ər 

-ˌwät-

1

: water overflowing land at high tide

2

: low-lying coastal land

Geographical Definition

Tidewater

geographical name

Tide·​wa·​ter ˈtīd-ˌwȯ-tər 

-ˌwä-

low-lying region of eastern Virginia extending from Chesapeake Bay to the Piedmont; site of the first English settlements in America