estuary

/ˌɛstʃəˈwɛri/

/ˈɛstʃəwɛri/

Other forms: estuaries

An estuary is the place in the water where a tide and a river current meet, like the estuary at New York Harbor, where the Hudson River meets the Atlantic Ocean.

Estuary, pronounced "ES-choo-air-ee," comes from the Latin word aestuarium, meaning "a tidal marsh or opening." The calm waters of an estuary, where the mouth of a river connects with the open sea and fresh water mixes with salty ocean water, makes the perfect home for many species of aquatic plants and animals. Chesapeake Bay and Puget Sound are estuaries.

Definitions of estuary

1. noun

   the wide part of a river where it nears the sea and fresh and salt water mix
   examples:

   Humber

   an estuary in central northeastern England formed by the Ouse River and the Trent River

   Para River

   an estuary in northern Brazil into which the Tocantins River flows

   Rio de la Plata

   an estuary between Argentina and Uruguay

   types:

   firth

   a long narrow estuary (especially in Scotland)

   type of:

   body of water, water

   the part of the earth's surface covered with water (such as a river or lake or ocean)