fjord

or fiord

[ fyawrd, fyohrd; Norwegian fyohr, fyoor ]
See synonyms for fjord on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a long, narrow arm of the sea bordered by steep cliffs: usually formed by glacial erosion.

  2. (in Scandinavia) a bay.

Origin of fjord

1
From Norwegian; see origin at firth

Other words from fjord

  • fjordic, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use fjord in a sentence

  • Seiches were even observed in various lakes and fjords in Norway.

    History's 10 Worst Earthquakes | The Daily Beast | January 15, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • She seemed like a released soul, something soaring and on the wing, far-distant as the wild fjords of her native Scandinavia.

    The Woman Gives | Owen Johnson
  • For two months he and his crew had dodged about among quaint Norwegian harbours and in and out of fjords of wonderful beauty.

    Corporal Cameron | Ralph Connor
  • He had just returned from a summer's yachting through the Norway fjords, brown and bursting with life.

    Corporal Cameron | Ralph Connor
  • The action takes place at Mrs. Alving's country house, beside one of the large fjords in Western Norway.

    Ghosts | Henrik Ibsen
  • In general, they state that it has been seen in the larger Norwegian fjords, seldom in the open sea.

    Mythical Monsters | Charles Gould

British Dictionary definitions for fjord

fjord

fiord

/ (fjɔːd) /


noun
  1. (esp on the coast of Norway) a long narrow inlet of the sea between high steep cliffs formed by glacial action

Origin of fjord

1
C17: from Norwegian, from Old Norse fjörthr; see firth, ford

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 fjord

fjord

[ fyôrd ]


  1. A long, narrow, deep inlet from the sea between steep slopes of a mountainous coast. Fjords usually occur where ocean water flows into valleys formed near the coast by glaciers.

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