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barrier island
noun
: a long broad sandy island lying parallel to a shore that is built up by the action of waves, currents, and winds and that protects the shore from the effects of the ocean
Examples of barrier island in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Top 5 Can’t Miss Gumbo Limbo Nature Center has a turtle rehabilitation center and butterfly gardens on a 20-acre barrier island.
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Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 11 Feb. 2025
The beloved vacation spot actually encompasses 200 miles of North Carolina barrier islands bordering the Atlantic Ocean.
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Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2025
Having been erected on marshlands and barrier islands using early land reclamation techniques, its waterlogged ground is now compacting in a process called subsidence.
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Jonathan Rowe, SPIN, 18 Dec. 2024
Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina One of North Carolina’s most remote beaches, this barrier island offers an uninterrupted sunrise over the Atlantic.
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Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 2 Feb. 2025
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Word History
First Known Use
1773, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near barrier island
Cite this Entry
“Barrier island.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barrier%20island. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
Kids Definition
barrier island
noun
: a long broad sandy island parallel to a shore that is built up by the action of waves, currents, and winds
More from Merriam-Webster on barrier island
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about barrier island
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