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
Barney Henderson
robert Birsel
john Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 July 2025
Some shark species can be found in North Carolina’s sounds and oceans, while others rarely venture into the state’s estuaries, the North Carolina Sea Grant says.
—Charlotte Observer, 2 July 2025
Firefighters worked to protect other vessels in the 2500 block of Blanding Avenue in the estuary from being impacted and deployed a floating boom to prevent oil spread, the department said on X shortly before 8 p.m. Sunday.
—Molly Gibbs, Mercury News, 25 May 2025
Flash rip currents are unpredictable, brief and affected by surf conditions, whereas a permanent rip is anchored to river estuaries or structures.
—Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 22 July 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 22 Aug. 2025.
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estuary
noun
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