dune

American  

[doon, dyoon] / dun, dyun /

noun

1. a sand hill or sand ridge formed by the wind, usually in desert regions or near lakes and oceans.

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dune British  

/ djuːn /

noun

1. a mound or ridge of drifted sand, occurring on the sea coast and in deserts

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dune Scientific  

/ do̅o̅n /

1. A hill or ridge of wind-blown sand. Dunes are capable of moving by the motion of their individual grains but usually keep the same shape.

2. See more at barchan dune draa longitudinal dune seif dune transverse dune

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Etymology

Origin of dune

1780–90; < French, Old French < Middle Dutch dūna; cognate with down ³

Example Sentences

Deep in Iraq's southern desert, bulldozers and earthmovers spread layers of moist clay over sand dunes as part of a broader effort to fight increasingly frequent sandstorms.

From Barron's

Over recent years, large dunes have started encroaching on the land in the village, while rolling desert sands have forced residents to shift further downhill, local pensioner Kakabai Baimedov told AFP.

From Barron's

The antlered escapee was eventually captured several hours later after falling asleep in the dunes of a nearby beach, before being returned to his owners.

From BBC

The social media posts that Prince William and his family share to their 17.1 million followers have a similar approach, with many showing them off-duty, with videos shot in woods, on sand dunes.

From BBC

"We set up the tyre repair shop in the middle of the sand dunes, far from the town centre," says Mr Jiménez.

From BBC

Related Words

• knoll
• ridge
• sand dune