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
Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
Powerful tidal currents in bays, estuary entrances, narrow straits, and inlets from the sea turn underwater turbines that are connected to a generator to produce electricity.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 2 July 2025
The damage can easily be seen in the Indian River Lagoon, which reaches from Volusia to Martin along Florida’s east coast and is heralded as the nation’s most diverse estuary.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 2025
Photo by Frank Kennedy MN/Shutterstock Instead of Acadia National Park in Maine...
Visit Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota
More than 40 percent of Minnesota’s Voyageurs National Park is covered in a network of lakes, rivers, and estuaries, and there are water activities aplenty.
—Maggie Fuller, AFAR Media, 23 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 30 Jul. 2025.
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estuary
noun
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