fjord
Americannoun
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a long, narrow arm of the sea bordered by steep cliffs: usually formed by glacial erosion.
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(in Scandinavia) a bay.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of fjord
From Norwegian; see origin at firth
Explanation
A fjord is a long, narrow strip of sea that falls between tall cliffs. If you’re traveling in Norway you might be amazed by the rocky cliffs surrounding the deep water of a fjord. A fjord is formed when a slow moving glacier carves out a valley in the earth that then becomes flooded by ocean water. Tall cliffs surrounding a narrow band of water make fjords look very dramatic. Fjords are common in countries like Norway, Iceland, and Greenland. The word fjord gets its looks from its Norwegian origins. Pronounce this funny looking word with a long “e” sound and the accent on the first syllable: “FEE-ord.”
Vocabulary lists containing fjord
Physical Geography - Middle School
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Boy: Tales of Childhood
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Physical Geography - High School
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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.
And the team’s official World Cup photo features the players dressed as Nordic warriors, weapons in hand, posed before a scenic fjord with long boats in the background.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
Last summer a giant wave swept through a remote fjord in southeast Alaska leaving destruction in its wake.
From BBC • May 6, 2026
This was followed by a four-hour trip by fishing boat to the entrance of the fjord, before a final dogsled to the base.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026
"In winter, everything is white, and if you are flying in a helicopter, for example, and have to monitor an area, you cannot see if a snowmobile has been driven down to a fjord."
From Barron's • Jan. 28, 2026
There are no sandy beaches on the fjord.
From "Boy: Tales of a Childhood" by Roald Dahl
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
