beach

¹

[ beech ]

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.

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

[ beech ]

noun

1. Alfred Ely, 1826–96, U.S. editor, publisher, and inventor.
2. Amy Marcey Cheney [mahr, -see], 1867–1944, U.S. composer and pianist.
3. Moses Yale, 1800–68, U.S. newspaper publisher.
4. Rex El·ling·wood [el, -ing-w, oo, d], 1877–1949, U.S. novelist and short-story writer.
5. Sylvia Woodbridge, 1887–1962, U.S. bookseller and publisher in France.

beach

/ 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 littoral

verb

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

beach

/ 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).

Other Words From

• beachless adjective
• un·beached adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of beach¹

First recorded in 1525–35; of obscure origin

Word History and Origins

Origin of beach¹

C16: perhaps related to Old English bæce river, beck ²

Synonym Study

See shore ¹.

Example Sentences

Meyers spent much of his childhood on beaches in and around Los Angeles, becoming a lifeguard after one of his brothers drowned.

From Washington Post

I have a restaurant and it’s in the middle of Florida, but my family moves to the beach every summer.

From Freakonomics

A theater like Clear Space adds to the vibrancy of Rehoboth and its role as a beach resort town, Combs said.

From Washington Blade

Clouds dissolve into Côte d’Azur sun, warming bikini-clad women lounging in beach chairs.

From Washington Post

The beach, apparently, is not as distracting as the office Keurig machine.

From Washington Post

Dinner was a baroque affair, on the beach, a warm breeze gently blowing.

From The Daily Beast

The city protests that a beach is not a suitable place to feed the hungry.

From The Daily Beast

One of the three, Ralph Goodwin, is said to have drowned while swimming at a beach outside Havana.

From The Daily Beast

Inside the Miami Beach Convention Center, there is a lot of good art—but more pretty art.

From The Daily Beast

She had enrolled at Maimonides University in North Miami Beach in order to work towards a degree in clinical sexology.

From The Daily Beast

If the "Y" Beach lot press their advantage they may cut off the enemy troops on the toe of the Peninsula.

From Project Gutenberg

The two women had no intention of bathing; they had just strolled down to the beach for a walk and to be alone and near the water.

From Project Gutenberg

The little crowd and the boats on the beach were right under them and no one paid any attention or seemed to be in a hurry.

From Project Gutenberg

My thought was to keep pushing in troops from "W" Beach until the enemy had fallen back to save themselves from being cut off.

From Project Gutenberg

Going back, found that the lighter loads of wounded already taken off have by no means cleared the beach.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• coast
• shore
• waterfront