estuary

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A coastal water body where ocean tides and river water merge, resulting in a brackish water zone.

   The railway then follows the widening estuary of the river, which at high tide has the appearance of a lake, but at low water presents a rather cheerless expanse of dark mud.

2. 2
   noun

   the wide part of a river where it nears the sea

3. 3
   noun

   An ocean inlet also fed by fresh river water.

Simplified etymology

Estuary entered English in the mid-16th century from Latin aestuarium, “the tidal part of a shore,” derived from aestus, “tide.” It originally referred to a tidal inlet of any size.

From Latin aestuarium (“creek”, “estuary of a river”).

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary