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.
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Examples of estuary in a Sentence
Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 2 Jan. 2025
Green crab abundance was consistently lowest in Elkhorn Slough, the only California estuary with sea otters, the paper published in the journal Biological Invasions found.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024
That list includes the Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay Program, which coordinates the multi-state cleanup effort for the nation’s largest estuary.
—Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 26 Dec. 2024
Paddle and explore the diversity of this amazing estuary.
—Joe Rassel, Orlando Sentinel, 4 Dec. 2024
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“Estuary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/estuary. Accessed 10 Jan. 2025.
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estuary
noun
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