inlet

[ noun in-let, -lit; verb in-let, in-let ]

noun

1. an indentation of a shoreline, usually long and narrow; small bay or arm.
2. a narrow passage between islands.
3. a place of admission; entrance.
4. something put in or inserted.

verb (used with object)

, in·let, in·let·ting.

1. to put in; insert.

inlet

noun

1. a narrow inland opening of the coastline
2. an entrance or opening
3. the act of letting someone or something in
4. something let in or inserted
5. 1. a passage, valve, or part through which a substance, esp a fluid, enters a device or machine
   2. ( as modifier )

      an inlet valve

verb

1. tr to insert or inlay

Word History and Origins

Origin of inlet¹

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; in, let ¹

Example Sentences

As the name suggests, a system of loudspeakers near the inlet pipes would simply scare fish away.

From BBC

The whales feast all summer long, and only then embark on a 6,000-mile journey south to Mexico, where females calve and nurse their young in the warm and protected inlets along the Baja Peninsula.

From Los Angeles Times

Canals are human-made but this inlet was naturally created by glaciers.

From Seattle Times

But studies of maps from the British Geological Survey clearly showed that the spot in Irchester sat right on an ancient shoreline - overlooking a large inlet.

From BBC

Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit Judicial Conference held at a luxury resort on the waters of Mobile Bay, a shallow inlet of the Gulf of Mexico.

From New York Times

Related Words

• basin
• estuary
• fjord