dune

noun

ˈdün How to pronounce dune (audio)
 also  ˈdyün
: a hill or ridge of sand piled up by the wind
dunelike
ˈdün-ˌlīk How to pronounce dune (audio)
 also  ˈdyün-
adjective

Examples of dune in a Sentence

We wandered over the dunes.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Dig your toes into the white sand at Sandbanks Provincial Park, and don’t miss the towering dunes at Dunes Beach. Alexandra Emanuelli, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2025 But this course is revered by golf aficionados for its holes along and over the ocean and its use of the adjacent sandy dunes and craggly cypress pines elsewhere on the property. Lee Ross, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2025 And just outside of New York City, off Long Island’s south shore, Fire Island National Seashore provides an easy escape to a rare coastal wilderness for undisturbed hikes through dunes and salt marshes. Jeffrey C. Hallo, The Conversation, 4 Sep. 2025 The new, fully customizable itinerary showcases equally powerful landscapes, ranging from the sweeping dunes of Sossusvlei to the vast deserts of Damaraland to the rugged mountains and sprawling plains of Kaokoland. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 3 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dune

Word History

Etymology

French, from Old French, from Middle Dutch; akin to Old English dūn down — more at down

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dune was in 1605

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dune.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dune. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

dune

noun
: a hill or ridge of sand piled up by the wind

More from Merriam-Webster on dune

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