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; see origin at in, let ¹

Example Sentences

Six days after Noah's disappearance, his body was found in an underground drainage system more than six hundred metres downstream from the culvert inlet which is located behind homes at Northwood Road.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

After a large-scale search, his body was found about 600m from the entrance to a culvert inlet behind Northwood Road in north Belfast.

From BBC • Jan. 19, 2026

Scotland's First Minister John Swinney however expressed dismay that he had only heard about the tanker being in the Scottish inlet of Moray Firth via media reports.

From Barron's • Jan. 14, 2026

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 • Oct. 30, 2025

As the compass pointed across the water, the dragon swam the inlet with Minli riding his back.

From "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" by Grace Lin

Related Words

• basin
• estuary
• fjord