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
Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2025
The Tamsui River is a major waterway and estuary in northern Taiwan that flows into the Taiwan Strait, the channel separating Taiwan from mainland China.
—Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
Coastal estuaries are the scene of intense daily dramas of survival, featuring a cast of hundreds of species, and much of it is microscopic and underwater.
—Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Sep. 2025
Unlike solar or wind, osmotic power can run continuously wherever fresh and saltwater meet; at estuaries, desalination plants, even inland salt lakes.
—New Atlas, 16 Sep. 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 Sep. 2025.
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estuary
noun
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