barrier island

noun

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

Examples of barrier island in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But barrier islands also flank much of the lower part of the state. — Ben Finley, The Seattle Times, "AP Explains: Why North Carolina is vulnerable to hurricanes," 11 Sep. 2018 Here on this tony barrier island on Florida's Atlantic Coast is where the action is, luring sightseers, protesters, pro-Trump supporters and leading government figures. — Si Liberman, USA TODAY, "Mar-a-Lago: An insider's view of Trump's Florida estate," 7 Mar. 2018 But when hurricanes came, her family home on a barrier island outside Gulf Breeze, Fla., was in the worst place imaginable. — Jacqueline Detwiler, Popular Mechanics, "What To Take With You on a Disaster Relief Trip," 11 Oct. 2018 Cremated remains and a broken copper band in a 4,000-year-old settlement on a barrier island off the coast of Georgia suggest that trade networks in ancient North America linked people from the Great Lakes to the southeastern coast. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "Find shows 4,000-year-old trade routes stretched from Carolinas to Great Lakes," 31 July 2018 However, teacher Tania Reed's class will continue on the shore of the barrier island city, which fronts the Gulf of Mexico in Pinellas County. — Tiffini Theisen, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Florida man complains about beach yoga, tries to get class shut down," 13 July 2018 Without the layers of protection of the marshland and barrier islands, Boustany says, coastal Louisiana -- and the people who live here -- become more vulnerable to increasingly powerful storms. — Gena Somra, CNN, "Louisiana's shrinking marshes signal the loss of a way of life," 6 June 2018 Protected as a state park in the 1940s, and wholly owned by the state of Georgia, the buildable land on the barrier island is limited by law to roughly 35 percent, according to the Jekyll Island Authority. — Jenna Russell, BostonGlobe.com, "There is magic in those Jekyll Island oaks," 21 June 2018 Blackbeard procured pardons from Eden and spent some of the following months at Bath while his ship was anchored across Pamlico Sound on the barrier island of Ocracoke. — John Bordsen, USA TODAY, "N.C.'s haul from ‘native son’ Blackbeard's 300th anniversary: Tourist gold," 22 June 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.