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coastline

American  
[kohst-lahyn] / ˈkoʊstˌlaɪn /

noun

  • coastlines
    plural
  1. the outline or contour of a coast; shoreline.

  2. the land and water lying adjacent to a shoreline.


coastline British  
/ ˈkəʊstˌlaɪn /

noun

  1. the outline of a coast, esp when seen from the sea, or the land adjacent to it

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of coastline

First recorded in 1855–60; coast + line 1


Vocabulary lists containing coastline

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.

See Examples For:

These shuttle ships use a route close to Oman's coastline.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

The city's coastline also allows undersea cables to link Visakhapatnam to South Africa and Australia, "positioning Andhra Pradesh as India's third major subsea hub", Smith said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026

Forecasters warned storm surges could reach as high as 5 feet in parts of Alabama and Florida, moving rising water inland from the coastline.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

Architect Amal Alabadla, who lived in a comfortable flat prior to the war, now lives in a tent on the coastline.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

Roz followed him through the water, and before long, a rugged coastline climbed into view.

From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown

Based on the latest projections, the coastlines of Alabama and Mississippi could be the most affected, Molchanov noted.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026

The state’s coastlines have been inundated with high surf for much of the summer, leading to severe erosion at some of the state’s most popular beaches.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

Seagrass habitats store carbon, support biodiversity and help protect coastlines from erosion, but are declining globally due to pollution, development, disturbance and climate change.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

Sea ice acts as a natural barrier that helps protect Arctic coastlines from powerful waves.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026

I was awed by the immense beauty of South Africa, seen from high up in the clouds: rolling hills and plains, meandering rivers and mountain ranges, thick forests, magnificent coastlines, luscious farmland.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane

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