atoll
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of atoll
First recorded in 1615–25; earlier atollon, from French: a word used in early descriptions of the Maldive Island atolls; said to be Divehi ( Indo-Aryan language of the Maldives) atoḷu
Explanation
An atoll is an island formed by a ring-shaped coral reef encircling a lagoon. The word comes from the language of the Maldives, an island chain in the Indian Ocean famous for gorgeous beaches and coral reefs. The word atoll appeared in English in the early 17th century, when the British and the Dutch were vying for control of Indian Ocean trade. You may have heard of Bikini Atoll, in the South Pacific — where the U.S. did extensive nuclear testing in the 1940s and 1950s. Its people were moved to neighboring atolls but haven’t been able to return because of lingering radiation. Even so, Bikini Atoll has become a destination for divers interested in WWII shipwrecks.
Vocabulary lists containing atoll
Physical Geography - Middle School
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Physical Geography - High School
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Pacific Islands - Introductory
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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.
A single atoll in the Seychelles serves as home to hundreds of thousands of tortoises, while millions of flamingoes flock annually to Lake Natron in Tanzania.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
The first body of an Italian diver, who was a member of the group, was recovered shortly after Thursday's accident near Vaavu atoll.
From BBC ● May 19, 2026
Under a contentious deal inked with Australia this year, the island nation will provide 30-year visas for up to 350 immigrants -- many convicted of serious crimes -- for resettlement on the barren atoll.
From Barron's ● Nov. 25, 2025
The crew was astonished at the beauty of the atoll, a postcard photo of South Seas paradise.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2025
Both of those atoll types present problems to human settlers, because they consist entirely of limestone without other stones, have only very thin soil, and lack permanent fresh water.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
