Word of the Day

: November 18, 2009

littoral

adjective LIT-uh-rul

What It Means

: of, relating to, or situated or growing on or near a shore especially of the sea

littoral in Context

The report shows dramatic improvement in the condition of the state's littoral waters since the cleanup effort began.

Did You Know?

You're most likely to encounter "littoral" in contexts relating to the military and marine sciences. A "littoral combat ship" is a fast and easily maneuverable combat ship built for use in coastal waters. And in marine ecology, the "littoral zone" is a coastal zone characterized by abundant dissolved oxygen, sunlight, nutrients, and generally high wave energies and water motion. Most of us, however, are more likely to encounter the noun "littoral," which refers to a coastal region (and more technically, to the shore zone between the high tide and low tide points). Although the adjective is older -- dating from the mid 17th century -- the noun, which dates from the early 19th century, is more common. "Littoral" comes to English from Latin "litoralis," itself from "litor-" or "litus," meaning "seashore."