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
Mariah Tyler, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2025
Stuart’s home county, Martin County, sits on the most biodiverse estuary in the Northern Hemisphere and is home to 100 artificial reef systems and more than 800 species of fish.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2025
Climate change and variability drive increasing exposure of marine heatwaves across US estuaries.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Sometime this coming year, the state water board will vote to either require more water to flow through the beleaguered estuary or permit water users to voluntarily restore habitat for fish.
—Ari Plachta, Sacramento Bee, 28 Feb. 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 21 Apr. 2025.
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estuary
noun
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