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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The frantic scene after an aluminum gangway collapsed Saturday at a boat dock on a Georgia barrier island capped what was supposed to have been a day of celebration, an annual festival spotlighting the culture and history of Sapelo Island's tiny Gullah-Geechee community of Black slave descendants. CBS News, 21 Oct. 2024 After making landfall near Siesta Key, a barrier island near Sarasota, around 8:30 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday, Milton cut a wide path of damage, flooding homes, downing trees and cutting power to more than 3 million Floridians. Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2024 The area from Sarasota to Fort Myers and the barrier islands that line the region, seemed to have suffered the worst damage. Carolyn Kormann, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2024 The news rippled through Treasure Island almost like a third storm: The mayor planned to move off the barrier island a month after Hurricane Helene flooded tens of thousands of homes along the Gulf Coast and two weeks after Hurricane Milton also ravaged the state. Mike Schneider, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for barrier island 

Word History

First Known Use

1773, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of barrier island was in 1773

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 5 Jan. 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

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