lagoon

noun

la·​goon lə-ˈgün How to pronounce lagoon (audio)
1
: a shallow sound, channel, or pond near or communicating with a larger body of water
2
: a shallow artificial pool or pond (as for the processing of sewage or storage of a liquid)
lagoonal adjective

Examples of lagoon in a Sentence

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.
Bayobab’s headquarters in Côte d’Ivoire lies just north of Abidjan’s long lagoon, in a hilly neighborhood perversely called Plateau. Samanth Subramanian, The Dial, 14 Oct. 2025 The waterfront would be transformed into a large marina, with piers and floating docks off the shore by the old Flipper Dolphin lagoon theater and wrapping around most of the waterfront, along with racks for storing smaller boats on land and heavy machinery depositing them in the water as needed. Pedro Portal, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2025 And don’t forget to book a table at the bijou Il Piccolo restaurant, comprising just nine tables to offer—in the spirit of Violino d’Oro more broadly—subtle, meticulously executed riffs on classic Venetian fare and the flavors of the lagoon. Liam Hess, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2025 A number of shorebirds migrate here to our local beaches and bays, and white pelicans can often be found on coastal lagoons and inland lakes during winter months. Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lagoon

Word History

Etymology

French & Italian; French lagune, from Italian laguna, from Latin lacuna pit, pool, from lacus lake

First Known Use

1673, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lagoon was in 1673

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lagoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lagoon. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

lagoon

noun
la·​goon lə-ˈgün How to pronounce lagoon (audio)
: a shallow channel or pond near or connected with a larger body of water

More from Merriam-Webster on lagoon

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!