littoral
Americanadjective
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of or relating to the shore of a lake, sea, or ocean.
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(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.
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of or relating to the region of freshwater lake beds from the sublittoral zone up to and including damp areas on shore.
noun
adjective
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of or relating to the shore of a sea, lake, or ocean
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biology inhabiting the shore of a sea or lake or the shallow waters near the shore
littoral fauna
noun
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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.
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Compare sublittoral
Etymology
Origin of littoral
First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin littorālis, variant of lītorālis “of the shore,” equivalent to lītor- (stem of lītus ) “shore” + -ālis, adjective suffix; -al 1 ( def. ); Lido ( def. ), lido ( def. )
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 Mine Countermeasures Unmanned Surface Vehicle was described as “an unmanned, diesel-powered surface craft” designed to be launched from a littoral combat ship.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026
The Houthis command the Tihamah coastal plain, the eastern littoral of the Red Sea.
From Salon • Jul. 14, 2024
The new discoveries will increase the ecological importance of the Mallorca channel seamounts and the littoral caves, providing compelling arguments for the Spanish government to emphasize the need for protection measures.
From Science Daily • Mar. 7, 2024
The new JL-3 will have a range of 5,400 nautical miles and be able to target portions of the continental United States from Chinese littoral waters.
From Washington Times • Nov. 8, 2023
The Peruvian littoral is an agronomical no-go zone: barren, cloudy, almost devoid of rain, seismically and climatically unstable.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
