Bristol Channel

American

noun

an inlet of the Atlantic, between S Wales and SW England, extending to the mouth of the Severn estuary. 85 miles (137 km) long.

Bristol Channel British

noun

an inlet of the Atlantic, between S Wales and SW England, merging into the Severn estuary. Length: about 137 km (85 miles)

"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

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.

The fossil remains were recovered from fissure deposits located on both sides of the Bristol Channel in southern Wales and southwest England.

From Science Daily • Mar. 21, 2026

Over a decade ago, Britain’s environmental regulator approved a new coastal nuclear power station on the proviso its cooling system wouldn’t suck in millions of fish from the Bristol Channel.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

The fossils were found near Minehead, on the south bank of the Bristol Channel, near what is now a Butlin's holiday camp.

From Science Daily • Mar. 7, 2024

A rust-colored dome looms over the muddy farmland of Hinkley Point, a headland overlooking the Bristol Channel in southwest England.

From New York Times • Feb. 22, 2024

And the coastal people below the Bristol Channel are secret people, and perhaps magic people.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023