inlet

noun

in·​let ˈin-ˌlet 

-lət

1

a

: a bay or recess in the shore of a sea, lake, or river

also : creek

b

: a narrow water passage between peninsulas or through a barrier island leading to a bay or lagoon

2

: a way of entering

especially : an opening for intake

Synonyms

• arm
• bay
• bight
• cove
• creek [chiefly British]
• embayment
• estuary
• firth
• fjord
• fiord
• gulf
• loch [Scottish]

Examples of inlet in a Sentence

The coast is dotted with tiny inlets.

went fishing in the quiet inlets of the coast

Recent Examples on the Web

The United Arab Emirates is expanding its resort profile with casino gambling approved at the under-construction $3.9 billion Wynn Al Marjan Island resort on 115 acres in the Ras Al Khaimah emirate on the Arabian Gulf inlet of the Persian Gulf. —Tribune News Service, Orange County Register, 18 Oct. 2024

However, a tropical storm warning is in effect for the Savannah River northward to the Little River inlet. —NBC News, 28 Sep. 2024

Fishers The property anchored by this six-bedroom home sits on an inlet of the Geist Reservoir. —The Week Staff, theweek, 2 July 2024

There are multiple ferry crossings navigating the province’s numerous coastal inlets and, in the interior, the lush Columbia River Valley. —Jayme Moye, Outside Online, 4 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

from its letting water in

First Known Use

circa 1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

inlet

noun

in·​let ˈin-ˌlet 

-lət

1

: a small or narrow bay

2

: an opening for intake especially of fluids

Medical Definition

inlet

noun

in·​let ˈin-ˌlet, -lət 

: the upper opening of a bodily cavity

especially : that of the cavity of the true pelvis bounded by the pelvic brim