intertidal

adjective

in·​ter·​tid·​al ˌin-tər-ˈtī-dᵊl 

: of, relating to, or being the part of the littoral zone above low-tide mark

intertidally

ˌin-tər-ˈtī-dᵊl-ē 

adverb

Examples of intertidal in a Sentence

animals that live in the intertidal zone

Recent Examples on the Web

The blood-testing organs don’t measure water levels but rather the concentration of salt, whose healthy range lies at almost exactly the same concentration as that of the brackish intertidal water in which vertebrates first evolved (which is about one-third as salty as seawater). —Dan Samorodnitsky, Quanta Magazine, 11 Aug. 2025

This coastal project breached old defenses and realigned 7 km of embankment, creating ~183 ha of intertidal salt marsh. —Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 5 Aug. 2025

Using their flexible front fins, mudskippers wrench themselves across intertidal mudflats, over rocks and even up the trunks of mangrove trees. —Skylar Knight, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 June 2025

Rosemead has future plans to offer seaweed-foraging experiences there in its pristine intertidal zone with Seaflora. —Katie Nanton, Travel + Leisure, 12 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for intertidal

• fratricidal
• fungicidal
• genocidal
• germicidal
• herbicidal
• homicidal
• suicidal
• apsidal
• subtidal
• bridal
• bridle
• idle

Kids Definition

intertidal

adjective

in·​ter·​tid·​al ˌint-ər-ˈtīd-ᵊl 

: of, relating to, or being the area that is above low-tide mark but exposed to flooding by the tide