barrier island

noun

Updated on: 24 Apr 2018

Definition of barrier island

: a long broad sandy island lying parallel to a shore that is built up by the action of waves, currents, and winds and that protects the shore from the effects of the ocean

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Recent Examples of barrier island from the Web

Erosion problems are nothing new to the 11-mile long, half-mile wide barrier island, where beach homes are divided between Newbury and Newburyport.

— linda greenstein, BostonGlobe.com, "On Plum Island, another fight against the tide," 19 Apr. 2018
Primarily a nature preserve, Big Talbot encompasses diverse habitats once typical of Florida’s barrier islands.

— bob rountree, Sun-Sentinel.com, "The Talbot Islands: paradise on the edge," 10 Apr. 2018
When a sandbar developed off the shore of North Carolina’s barrier islands in spring 2017, some experts said that the feature was likely to be short-lived.

— mark price, charlotteobserver, "Thinking of visiting NC’s mysterious Shelly island for Spring Break? Think again. | Charlotte Observer," 9 Mar. 2018
The birds have outgrown the ANWR and can now be found foraging during the winter on the neighboring peninsula and barrier islands.

— henry gass, The Christian Science Monitor, "As more Texans 'Give a Whoop,' hope for saving iconic cranes – and coast," 2 Apr. 2018
Port Aransas, a beach town on a barrier island near the middle of the Texas coast, is almost entirely dependent on tourism.

— mary beth gahan, Washington Post, "Recovery is a work in progress on the Texas coastline," 31 Mar. 2018
Drop the lederhosen and beer steins of Bavaria and head to Germany’s beachy North Sea barrier islands, Sylt and Amrum.

— cnt editors, Condé Nast Traveler, "Why You Should Skip Paris on Your First Trip to Europe," 23 Mar. 2018
When a sandbar developed off the shore of North Carolina’s barrier islands in spring 2017, some experts said that the feature was likely to be short-lived.

— mark price, charlotteobserver, "Thinking of visiting NC’s mysterious Shelly island for Spring Break? Think again. | Charlotte Observer," 9 Mar. 2018
There’s this sort of unprecedented access to marshes, the Gulf of Mexico and the barrier islands.

— sara sneath, NOLA.com, "Marine lab has 'front row seat' to Louisiana coastal loss," 21 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'barrier island.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of barrier island

1773

in the meaning defined above

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BARRIER ISLAND Defined for English Language Learners

barrier island

noun

Definition of barrier island for English Language Learners

: a long, sandy island that is near a shore

BARRIER ISLAND Defined for Kids

barrier island

noun

Definition of barrier island for Students

: a long broad sandy island parallel to a shore that is built up by the action of waves, currents, and winds

Learn More about barrier island

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about barrier island

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barrier island

Definition of barrier island

Recent Examples of barrier island from the Web

First Known Use of barrier island

BARRIER ISLAND Defined for English Language Learners

barrier island

Definition of barrier island for English Language Learners

BARRIER ISLAND Defined for Kids

barrier island

Definition of barrier island for Students

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