tidewater

noun

tide·​wa·​ter ˈtīd-ˌwȯ-tər 

-ˌwä-

1

: water overflowing land at flood tide

also : water affected by the ebb and flow of the tide

2

: low-lying coastal land

Examples of tidewater in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

At the Norfolk Naval Station, headquarters of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet, the Department of Defense and U.S. Navy acknowledge the risks from chronic and increasing sea level risk and have made plans to manage and adapt to tidewater risks over the next ten years. —Kate Gordon, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2018

The interpretation, unveiled at a recent festival in the Chesapeake tidewater hamlet of Easton, is dividing the town and fueling debate over how America redefines and reimagines its ever-present past. —Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 16 Nov. 2023

The Charlotte chefs with Virginia roots who have long worked together on food that promotes understanding of Black culinary history and coastal tidewater cuisine were named together as a semifinalist for the James Beard Award: Best Chef Southeast. —Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 24 Jan. 2024

In some states, for instance, using a cast net is lawful for catching shiners, river baitfish, and tidewater minnows. —Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 4 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1772, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

tidewater

noun

tide·​wa·​ter -ˌwȯt-ər 

-ˌwät-

1

: water overflowing land at high tide

2

: low-lying coastal land

Geographical Definition

Tidewater

geographical name

Tide·​wa·​ter ˈtīd-ˌwȯ-tər 

-ˌwä-

low-lying region of eastern Virginia extending from Chesapeake Bay to the Piedmont; site of the first English settlements in America