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• marsh
  marsh

  noun

  a tract of low wet land, often treeless and periodically inundated, generally characterized by a growth of grasses, sedges, cattails, and rushes.
• Marsh
  Marsh

  noun

  Dame (Edith) Ngaio 1899–1982, New Zealand writer of detective novels.

marsh

¹ American  

[mahrsh] / mɑrʃ /

noun

• marshes
  plural

1. a tract of low wet land, often treeless and periodically inundated, generally characterized by a growth of grasses, sedges, cattails, and rushes.

   Synonyms:

   wetland, marshland, fen, bog, swamp

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Marsh ² American  

[mahrsh] / mɑrʃ /

noun

1. Dame (Edith) Ngaio 1899–1982, New Zealand writer of detective novels.

2. Reginald, 1898–1954, U.S. painter and illustrator.

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marsh ¹ British  

/ mɑːʃ /

noun

1. low poorly drained land that is sometimes flooded and often lies at the edge of lakes, streams, etc Compare swamp

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Marsh ² British  

/ mɑːʃ /

noun

1. Dame ( Edith ) Ngaio (ˈnaɪəʊ). 1899–1981, New Zealand crime writer, living in Britain (from 1928). Her many detective novels include Final Curtain (1947) and Last Ditch (1977)

2. Rodney ( William ). born 1947, Australian cricketer: a wicketkeeper, he took 355 dismissals in 96 test matches (1970–84)

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marsh Scientific  

/ märsh /

1. An area of low-lying wetland in which the level of water is generally shallow and often fluctuating. The water may be either standing or slow-moving. The water in a marsh is also more or less neutral or alkaline, in contrast to the water in a bog, which is acidic. The environment of a marsh is in general well-oxygenated and nutrient-rich and allows a great variety of organisms to flourish. In contrast to a swamp, in which there is an abundance of woody plants, the plants in a marsh are mostly herbaceous. Reeds and rushes dominate the vegetation of marshes.

2. See also salt marsh

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• marshlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• marshes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of marsh

before 900; Middle English mershe, Old English mer ( i ) sc (cognate with German Marsch ). See mere ², -ish ¹; cf. marais, marish, morass

Explanation

A marsh is an area in transition from land to water. It is a very bad idea to go walking in a marsh in your best shoes; try some fishing boots, or perhaps a boat. The word marsh comes from the old Dutch word mere, for sea, and it means land that is sea-ish… not sea, but sea-ish, like most of Holland. Marshes can be found often where a river empties into the sea, or along the side of a low, flooded river. Another word for marsh is swamp. If you’re in trouble or just want to be alone, a marsh is a great place to hide: no one will follow you. Just don’t forget your galoshes.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

marsh Marsh marshes

“The secondary benefit of having this beautiful marsh is this fantastic wildlife,” Swift said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

Joel Weintraub, 84, said credit for the discovery of the bird goes to marsh visitor Charles Baker, who spotted it Aug. 13 and posted a photo of the bird on EBird, a free online database.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

The number and variety of plants increased over time, including locally rare species such as southern marsh orchid, greater tussock-sedge, yellow rattle and common centaury.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026

Environmentalists say the wall will accelerate erosion elsewhere while starving the neighboring salt marsh of sediment, hurting wildlife.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

She faded into the distance and into the air of the marsh.

From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce

“The San Joaquin Marsh here is, you know, for the most part pretty quiet during the week,” Swift said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

“These kids were trying to keep up with the Joneses because they were the Joneses,” said Joshua Marsh, a costume designer for the show.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

Their largest concentration in California is in the Suisun Marsh, just south of Vacaville.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026

It looked a strange call when Mitch Marsh, the tournament's leading scorer, and Ryan Rickelton put on 42 in 22 balls for the first wicket.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

“And Miss Von Marsh of the Ladies’ Manumission Society, I believe I overheard you say you’re going to the theater.”

From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older

This giant salamander lived in the broad freshwater lakes and marshes that covered parts of Kyushu several million years ago.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026

Saltwater is beginning to contaminate farmland reclaimed over the past five centuries from the delta marshes.

From Barron's ● Jun. 27, 2026

Today, they’re mostly found roaming marshes of the Central Valley, particularly around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026

Along the way, it passes through some of the country's most beautiful and varied landscapes, from salt marshes and sandy beaches to cliffs, dunes and historic coastal towns.

From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2026

A low gray mist covered the marshes and you couldn’t see the bay.

From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt