sandbar

or sand bar

[ sand-bahr ]

noun

1. a bar of sand formed in a river or sea by the action of tides or currents.

sandbar

/ sănd′bär′ /

1. A long mass or low ridge of submerged or partially exposed sand built up in the water along a shore or beach by the action of waves or currents.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sandbar¹

First recorded in 1760–70

Example Sentences

In late August, they began to notice the water retreating, leaving sandbars exposed.

From Los Angeles Times

Tens of thousands used to watch racers navigate curves and narrow passages, dodging logs and sandbars.

From Seattle Times

The two-year-old female calf had been stuck in the tidal lagoon after her pregnant mother was stranded and later died on a sandbar.

From BBC

Bar push is caused when deposition on the inside of a bend forms a sandbar, which pushes the curve outward.

From Science Daily

The original Terminal Island had been nothing more than a glorified sandbar known as Rattlesnake Island, named for the animals that washed into the harbor during heavy rains.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• reef
• shoal