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  • beach
    beach
    noun
    an expanse of sand or pebbles along a shore.
  • Beach
    Beach
    noun
    Alfred Ely, 1826–96, U.S. editor, publisher, and inventor.
Synonyms

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.


verb (used with object)

beaches, present (3rd person singular) beached, past participle, past beaching present participle
  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.


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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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).


Synonym Usage

See shore 1.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of beach

First recorded in 1525–35; of obscure origin

Explanation

You know that wide, flat patch of sand that leads down to the sea, or maybe even the lake? That's a beach, one of the most beautiful places in the world. During a long, stormy winter, a beach can erode and move. The word beach can also be used more generally to describe a town or vacation spot along the ocean or sea. In New Jersey, they call it the shore. But in lots of other places, people say they're going to the beach when they mean they are taking a trip to the seaside for vacation. Of course, if you beach your boat, you might not be overjoyed: that means you've run it aground, usually on a choice pile of sand.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing beach

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The notorious bidding war for a Palm Beach estate between Trump and Jeffrey Epstein involved a third party.

From Salon • Jun. 9, 2026

In Florida, the resident of a multimillion-dollar Mediterranean compound has been fighting with Palm Beach over a policy enforcing public access to some of the area’s beaches.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

She is no stranger to slow starts and rapid finishes in the game's biggest tournaments and there were echoes of Pebble Beach three years ago when she was joint runner-up to Allisen Corpuz.

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026

They purchased an acre of land in Ballen Isles Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens, with both water and golf course views.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026

We passed the gazebo at the end of our street where the American Legion band played every Saturday night of the summer and we crossed Beach Street.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen

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