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brackish
[ brak-ish ]
/ ˈbræk ɪʃ /
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adjective
somewhat salty or briny, as the water in an estuary or salt marsh, which is not as salty as the sea but saltier than a river: These brackish swamps are some of the state’s most important ecosystems.
distasteful; unpleasant: The coffee was brackish and stale.
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QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!
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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
Origin of brackish
First recorded in 1550–60; from Dutch brak “salty” + -ish1 (in the sense “somewhat”)
OTHER WORDS FROM brackish
brack·ish·ness, nounWords nearby brackish
bracketing, bracketology, brackets, bracket saw, Brackett series, brackish, Bracknell, Bracknell Forest, braconid, bract, bracteate
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use brackish in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for brackish
brackish
/ (ˈbrækɪʃ) /
adjective
(of water) slightly briny or salty
Derived forms of brackish
brackishness, nounWord Origin for brackish
C16: from Middle Dutch brac salty; see -ish
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
Scientific definitions for brackish
brackish
[ brăk′ĭsh ]
Containing a mixture of seawater and fresh water. Brackish water is somewhat salty.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.