atoll

noun

ˈa-ˌtȯl 

-ˌtäl, 

-ˌtōl, 

ˈā- 

: a coral island consisting of a reef surrounding a lagoon

Illustration of atoll

Did you know?

If you are lucky enough to sail south and west of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean, you'll find the Maldives, a group of about 1,200 coral islands and sandbanks that form the Republic of Maldives. Many islands in that independent nation demonstrate the archetypal atoll, and geographers often use them to point out the characteristic features of such coral islands. Given how prevalent atolls are there, it isn't surprising that atoll comes from the name for that kind of island in Divehi, the official language of the Maldives.

Examples of atoll in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also claim some of the 250 islands, reefs and atolls in the waterway. — Ivan Watson, CNN Money, 24 July 2026

To date, more than 180 resorts dot the Maldives’ lush atolls. — Katie Lockhart, Robb Report, 16 July 2026

The order covers the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument, stretching over Palmyra and Johnston atolls and Kingman Reef, among others. — Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026

Hawkes was born in the Republic of the Marshall Islands and adopted as a baby by an American family who raised him in Utah, thousands of miles from the coral atolls of his birthplace. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 24 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Divehi (Indo-Aryan language of the Maldive Islands) atolu

First Known Use

1625, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for atoll

• aldol
• armhole
• awol
• backhaul
• banal
• baseball
• befall
• cabal
• catchall
• cecal
• centrale
• downfall

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Kids Definition

atoll

noun

ˈa-ˌtȯl  -ˌtäl 

-ˌtōl, 

ˈā-

: a coral island consisting of a coral reef surrounding a lagoon