atoll

noun

ˈa-ˌtȯl 

-ˌtäl,

-ˌtōl,

ˈā- 

: a coral island consisting of a reef surrounding a lagoon

Illustration of atoll

Did you know?

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

Located off the coast of India, the Maldives has a population of about 525,000 across more than 1,000 islands and atolls. —Lilit Marcus, CNN, 26 Nov. 2024

Tuvalu is located in the South Pacific, and is composed of several atolls and reef islands. —Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 1 Oct. 2024

Brando hired him to construct a home on the 12-island atoll of Tetiaroa, Tahiti. —Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024

Fixing maritime boundaries means atoll nations can continue to reap the economic benefit of vast fishing grounds, even if populations must migrate as dry land area is significantly reduced. —Reuters, CNN, 26 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Divehi (Indo-Aryan language of the Maldive Islands) atolu

First Known Use

1625, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

atoll

noun

ˈa-ˌtȯl  -ˌtäl 

-ˌtōl,

ˈā-

: a coral island consisting of a coral reef surrounding a lagoon