breakwater

noun

break·​wa·​ter ˈbrāk-ˌwȯ-tər 

-ˌwä-

: an offshore structure (such as a wall) protecting a harbor or beach from the force of waves

Examples of breakwater in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In the early 2000s, authorities began building infrastructure in the lagoon, including a breakwater at the mouth of Cerro Hermoso, where the town of El Zapotalito is located. —Gwendolina Duval, Vogue, 22 Apr. 2025

But trucks nearby are now hauling giant stones from across Georgia to use in the construction of a breakwater for the port. —Ivan Nechepurenko, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2025

When spring officially begins on March 20, Waukegan Harbor begins to come alive once again as shore fishers hit the breakwaters and boaters begin readying their crafts for a summer of fun on the water. —Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2025

Its first civil works project in the Philadelphia region was the construction of a breakwater near Cape Henlopen, Delaware, in 1829. —Todd Aagaard, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1769, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for breakwater

• backwater
• bathwater
• blackwater
• deepwater
• edgewater
• feedwater
• floodwater
• freshwater
• granddaughter
• groundwater
• headwater
• manslaughter

Kids Definition

breakwater

noun

break·​wa·​ter ˈbrāk-ˌwȯt-ər 

-ˌwät-

: an offshore structure (as a wall) to protect a harbor or beach from the force of waves