Illustration of atoll
: a coral island consisting of a reef surrounding a lagoon
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If you are lucky enough to sail south and west of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean, you'll find the Maldives, a group of about 1,200 coral islands and sandbanks that form the Republic of Maldives. Many islands in that independent nation demonstrate the archetypal atoll, and geographers often use them to point out the characteristic features of such coral islands. Given how prevalent atolls are there, it isn't surprising that atoll comes from the name for that kind of island in Divehi, the official language of the Maldives.
Examples of atoll in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The United States has condemned China's recent interception of a Philippine government vessel near a disputed atoll in the South China Sea early Wednesday morning.
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Mark R. Weaver, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024
Yet these efforts created an enduring feature in the environment — a ‘road’ that sharks now use as a convenient route into the atoll’s interior waters.
—Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
By 2050, it’s estimated that half the land area of Funafuti, the main atoll of Tuvalu, will become flooded by tidal waters.
—New York Times, 4 Nov. 2024
The Pacific archipelago of about 300,000 people is 10 time zones ahead of Paris and known to tourists for its UNESCO World Heritage atolls and reefs.
—Barbara Surk, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2024
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Mark R. Weaver, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024
Yet these efforts created an enduring feature in the environment — a ‘road’ that sharks now use as a convenient route into the atoll’s interior waters.
—Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
By 2050, it’s estimated that half the land area of Funafuti, the main atoll of Tuvalu, will become flooded by tidal waters.
—New York Times, 4 Nov. 2024
The Pacific archipelago of about 300,000 people is 10 time zones ahead of Paris and known to tourists for its UNESCO World Heritage atolls and reefs.
—Barbara Surk, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for atoll
Dictionary Entries Near atoll
Cite this Entry
“Atoll.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atoll. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.
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