beach

¹ American  

[beech] / bitʃ /

noun

1. an expanse of sand or pebbles along a shore.

2. the part of the shore of an ocean, sea, large river, lake, etc., washed by the tide or waves.

   Synonyms:

   littoral , strand , seashore , coast

3. the area adjacent to a seashore.

   We're vacationing at the beach.

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verb (used with object)

1. Nautical.  to haul or run onto a beach.

   We beached the ship to save it.

2. to make inoperative or unemployed.

   Synonyms:

   ground

Beach ² American  

[beech] / bitʃ /

noun

1. Alfred Ely, 1826–96, U.S. editor, publisher, and inventor.

2. Amy Marcey Cheney 1867–1944, U.S. composer and pianist.

3. Moses Yale, 1800–68, U.S. newspaper publisher.

4. Rex Ellingwood 1877–1949, U.S. novelist and short-story writer.

5. Sylvia Woodbridge, 1887–1962, U.S. bookseller and publisher in France.

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beach British  

/ biːtʃ /

noun

1. an extensive area of sand or shingle sloping down to a sea or lake, esp the area between the high- and low-water marks on a seacoast

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verb

1. to run or haul (a boat) onto a beach

beach Scientific  

/ bēch /

1. The area of accumulated sand, stone, or gravel deposited along a shore by the action of waves and tides. Beaches usually slope gently toward the body of water they border and have a concave shape. They extend landward from the low water line to the point where there is a distinct change in material (as in a line of vegetation) or in land features (as in a cliff).

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Related Words

See shore ¹.

Other Word Forms

• beachless adjective
• unbeached adjective

Etymology

Origin of beach

First recorded in 1525–35; of obscure origin

Example Sentences

The antlered escapee was eventually captured several hours later after falling asleep in the dunes of a nearby beach, before being returned to his owners.

From BBC

"When I found the specimen back in 2015 on the beach in Devon, I had no idea what it was because there was so little of it exposed," added Dr. Rob Coram.

From Science Daily

Although it did not make direct landfall it did produce dangerous rip currents and large surf which kept beaches closed and led to evacuations in some areas.

From BBC

Or your favorite vacation spot might be the perfect beach town in the summer, but desolate and lonely in the winter.

From MarketWatch

Despite the news of her split from Fichera, Dreyer has spent a significant amount of time at the beach property in recent months—even celebrating her birthday there with her estranged spouse back in August.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• coast
• shore
• waterfront