estuary
noun
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A partly enclosed coastal body of water in which river water is mixed with seawater is called an estuary. An estuary is thus defined by salinity rather than geography. Many coastal features designated by other names are in fact estuaries (for instance, Chesapeake Bay). Some of the oldest continuous civilizations have flourished in estuarine environments (for example, the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the Nile delta, and the Ganges delta). Cities such as London (Thames River), New York (Hudson River), and Montreal (St. Lawrence River) developed on estuaries and became important commercial centers.
Examples of estuary in a Sentence
Amy Brecount White, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 May 2025
According to Eustis the spill threatens a range of species including black terns, bottlenose dolphins, larval yellowfin tuna, marsh birds, spring pogies, and young fish migrating into the estuaries for spring growth.
—Dan Ruetenik, CBS News, 2 May 2025
Currently, more than 8,000 people live in flood plain areas along estuaries in the Cascadia coastal region.
—Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2025
The team found that if an earthquake that caused more than six feet of subsidence were to happen today, the 100-year floodplain in estuaries in Cascadia would expand by 115 square miles.
—Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for estuary
Cite this Entry
“Estuary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/estuary. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
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estuary
noun
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