wetland

/ˈwɛtlɪnd/

/ˈwɛtlənd/

Other forms: wetlands

An ecosystem that is extremely soggy — like a bog or a swamp — is a wetland. You can find plants including cattails and water lilies growing in wetlands.

Coined in the 1740s, wetland is a fairly obvious combination of wet and land, which perfectly describes what they're like. Whether they're saturated with saltwater or freshwater, these ecosystems support many species of animals and plants. The presence of organisms that have adapted to live in areas that are usually (but not always) flooded is what distinguishes marshes, estuaries, and other wetlands from bodies of water.

Definitions of wetland

1. noun

   a low area where the land is saturated with water
   types:

   bog, peat bog

   wet spongy ground of decomposing vegetation; has poorer drainage than a swamp; soil is unfit for cultivation but can be cut and dried and used for fuel

   fen, fenland, marsh, marshland

   low-lying wet land with grassy vegetation; usually is a transition zone between land and water

   swamp, swampland

   low land that is seasonally flooded; has more woody plants than a marsh and better drainage than a bog

   mire, morass, quag, quagmire, slack

   a soft wet area of low-lying land that sinks underfoot

   salt marsh

   low-lying wet land that is frequently flooded with saltwater

   slough

   a stagnant swamp (especially as part of a bayou)

   slough

   a hollow filled with mud

   type of:

   ground, land, soil

   material in the top layer of the surface of the earth in which plants can grow (especially with reference to its quality or use)