billabong

noun

bil·​la·​bong ˈbi-lə-ˌbȯŋ How to pronounce billabong (audio)
-ˌbäŋ
1
Australia
a
: a blind channel leading out from a river
b
: a usually dry streambed that is filled seasonally
2
Australia : a backwater forming a stagnant pool

Examples of billabong in a Sentence

taking a break from our trek through the outback, we bathed our tired feet in the still waters of a billabong
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.
Finally, new in 2025, Davidsons Arnhemland Safari Lodge will join forces with Kakadu Air for an all-inclusive fishing day safari, during which guests have the chance to fish in untouched billabongs and visit the world-famous Arnhem Land rock art galleries. Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Nov. 2024 Sonia Namarnyilk layered three stencils to print complex patterns of mermaid-like water spirits, their fluid, bright orange undulations interspersed with playful turtles and rippling billabong plants. Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2022 Fifteen million years ago, a river carved through the jungle, leaving an oxbow lake (known as a billabong in Australia) in its wake at McGraths Flat. New York Times, 7 Jan. 2022 As iron-rich runoff from nearby basalt mountains seeped into the billabong, the pool’s low pH caused the iron to precipitate and encase the organic material. New York Times, 7 Jan. 2022 The plants and creatures were fossilized when iron-rich groundwater drained into a billabong, or water hole. Katie Hunt, CNN, 7 Jan. 2022 Cruises operate daily and are a fantastic way to discover the billabong's remarkable flora and fauna. Smithsonian, 7 Apr. 2017 Located in the heart of the national park, the billabong flows through the region's majestic wetlands, reflecting picture-perfect sunsets in the calm waters. Smithsonian, 7 Apr. 2017 Then enjoy a sunset or sunrise cruise on the Yellow Water billabong, where crocodiles and birds can be seen amongst lush mangroves, or take a scenic flight over Kakadu's breathtaking wetlands. Smithsonian, 7 Apr. 2017

Word History

Etymology

Wiradhuri (Australian aboriginal language of central New South Wales) bilabaŋ

First Known Use

1861, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of billabong was in 1861

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Billabong.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/billabong. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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