brackish

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈbɹækɪʃ/ See IPA manual

Freq #58000

Meanings

1

adj
slightly salty (especially from containing a mixture of seawater and fresh water)

A brackish lagoon.
2

adj
Salty or slightly salty, as a mixture of fresh and sea water, such as that found in estuaries.

...by a low courſe and too long ſporting with the briny Ocean it taſts brackiſh and inſalubrious...
3

adj
Distasteful; unpleasant; not appealing to the taste.

Therefore the bread he had to eat Seemed brackish, less like corn than tares;.
4

adj
distasteful and unpleasant

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · slightly salty (especially... briny

Word family

Derived forms brackishlybrackishnessnonbrackishunbrackish

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

brackish lagoon
a coastal body of water containing a mixture of fresh water and seawater

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Scottish brack (from Middle Dutch brac (“brackish”)) + -ish. Cognate with Dutch brak (“brackish”), German Low German brack, brakerg, brakig (“brackish”), German brackig (“brackish”), Danish brak (“brackish”), Swedish bräck (“brackish”), Norwegian brakk (“brackish”). Perhaps a distant doublet of brook.

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# brackish

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈbɹækɪʃ/
**Frequency rank:** 58000

## Meanings
1. slightly salty (especially from containing a mixture of seawater and fresh water)
2. Salty or slightly salty, as a mixture of fresh and sea water, such as that found in estuaries.
3. Distasteful; unpleasant; not appealing to the taste.
4. distasteful and unpleasant

## Examples
- A brackish lagoon.
- ...by a low courſe and too long ſporting with the briny Ocean it taſts brackiſh and inſalubrious...
- Therefore the bread he had to eat Seemed brackish, less like corn than tares;.

## Derived Forms
- brackishly
- brackishness
- nonbrackish
- unbrackish

## Etymology
From Scottish brack (from Middle Dutch brac (“brackish”)) + -ish. Cognate with Dutch brak (“brackish”), German Low German brack, brakerg, brakig (“brackish”), German brackig (“brackish”), Danish brak (“brackish”), Swedish bräck (“brackish”), Norwegian brakk (“brackish”). Perhaps a distant doublet of brook.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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