inlet

American  

[in-let, -lit, in-let, in-let] / ˈɪn lɛt, -lɪt, ˈɪnˌlɛt, ɪnˈlɛt /

noun

1. an indentation of a shoreline, usually long and narrow; small bay or arm.

2. a narrow passage between islands.

3. a place of admission; entrance.

4. something put in or inserted.

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verb (used with object)

inlet, inletting

1. to put in; insert.

inlet British  

noun

1. a narrow inland opening of the coastline

2. an entrance or opening

3. the act of letting someone or something in

4. something let in or inserted

5. 1. a passage, valve, or part through which a substance, esp a fluid, enters a device or machine

   2. ( as modifier )

      an inlet valve

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verb

1. (tr) to insert or inlay

Etymology

Origin of inlet

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; in, let ¹

Example Sentences

“Rip currents are typically more frequent and stronger in the vicinity of jetties, inlets, and piers.”

From Los Angeles Times

A more extensive upgrade that moves the position of that engine’s air inlet is set to be available for new aircraft deliveries.

From The Wall Street Journal

Rivers and inlets from the sea provide an easy route for incoming waves, carrying tsunamis much farther inland than they could otherwise travel.

From Literature

Near midnight on the night of September 30, 1962, four Soviet submarine commanders walked through thick fog along a wooden pier on Sayda Bay, an inlet of the Barents Sea.

From Literature

To mark the occasion, Sheikh Mohamed invited Zhao to his ornate private palace where he typically welcomed foreign dignitaries, hidden from the city across an inlet by a dense bank of trees.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• basin
• estuary
• fjord