liman

[ li-mahn, -man ]

noun

, Geology.

1. a muddy lagoon, marsh, or lake near the mouth of a river behind part of the delta and more or less protected from open water by a barrier or spit.
2. an area of mud or silt deposited near the mouth of a river.

Word History and Origins

Origin of liman¹

1855–60; < Russian limán estuary, coastal salt lake < Turkish or Crimean Tatar < Medieval Greek liménion, liménas (compare Greek limḗn harbor)

Example Sentences

It is not enough to have a steamer on the liman of the Dniestr, unless one has also the means of making use of it.

From Project Gutenberg

The river falls into the sea by several arms, passing through a shallow liman or lagoon, a few miles S.W. of Odessa.

From Project Gutenberg