longshore drift

American

noun

beach drift.

longshore drift British

noun

the process whereby beach material is gradually shifted laterally as a result of waves meeting the shore at an oblique angle

"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

Etymology

Origin of longshore drift

First recorded in 1950–55

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.

See Examples For:

longshore drift

Sand for longshore drift and beaches comes from rivers flowing to the oceans from inland areas.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2017

Unfortunately, this means that waves can no longer reach the beach to keep the longshore drift of sand moving.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2017

Waves and longshore drift are important in controlling the formation of beaches, as well as spits, tombolos, baymouth bars, and barrier islands.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

What is the difference between a longshore current and longshore drift?

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

The combined effect of these two processes is sediment transport by longshore drift.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

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