littoral
[ lit-er-uh l ]
/ ˈlɪt ər əl /
adjective
of or relating to the shore of a lake, sea, or ocean.
(on ocean shores) of or relating to the biogeographic region between the sublittoral zone and the high-water line and sometimes including the supralittoral zone above the high-water line.
of or relating to the region of freshwater lake beds from the sublittoral zone up to and including damp areas on shore.Compare intertidal.
noun
a littoral region.
Nearby words
littler, littlest, littleton, littlewood, littlie, littoral, littoral warfare, littoria, littre's hernia, littré, littérateur
Origin of littoral
1650–60; < Latin littorālis, variant of lītorālis of the shore, equivalent to lītor- (stem of lītus) shore + -ālis -al1
Can be confused
literal littoralDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for littoral
British Dictionary definitions for littoral
littoral
/ (ˈlɪtərəl) /
adjective
of or relating to the shore of a sea, lake, or ocean
biology inhabiting the shore of a sea or lake or the shallow waters near the shorelittoral fauna
noun
a coastal or shore region
Word Origin for littoral
C17: from Late Latin littorālis, from lītorālis, from lītus shore
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Science definitions for littoral
littoral
[ lĭt′ər-əl ]
Relating to the coastal zone between the limits of high and low tides. The littoral zone is subject to a wide range of environmental conditions, including high-energy wave action and intermittent periods of flooding and drying along with the associated fluctuations in exposure to solar radiation and extremes of temperature. Compare sublittoral.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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