seashore

American  

[see-shawr, -shohr] / ˈsiˌʃɔr, -ˌʃoʊr /

noun

seashores plural

1. land along the sea or ocean.

2. Law. the ground between the ordinary high-water and low-water marks.

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seashore British  

/ ˈsiːˌʃɔː /

noun

1. land bordering on the sea

2. the land between the marks of high and low water

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• seashores
  plural

Etymology

Origin of seashore

First recorded in 1520–30; sea + shore ¹

Explanation

The seashore is the land that borders an ocean or sea. She sells seashells on the seashore because that’s where the shells are, on the beach. Now say the whole thing three times fast. You can call the seashore the coast, the beach, or even just the shore. It's the area right next to the sea, and it can be rocky and dramatic or soft and sandy. Sometimes scientists use this word to mean the specific area that's covered with water at high tide but uncovered at low tide. This area is also known as the intertidal zone.

Example Sentences

Deep in the Point Reyes National Seashore are a cluster of freshwater ponds.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 7, 2025

Roughly 85% of its land, including the Point Reyes National Seashore and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, is public space or agricultural land protected from development.

From Los Angeles Times • May 24, 2024

In November, a hiker was traversing the coastal terrain of California’s Point Reyes National Seashore when he came across an unusual sight: a ghostly badger padding down the trail.

From National Geographic • Feb. 12, 2024

Two wildlife biologists with the National Park Service saw a male elephant seal saving a young pup from drowning at Point Reyes National Seashore in an unlikely altruistic act.

From New York Times • Feb. 8, 2024

Seashore towns assigned free lands to each boat to be used for stays and flakes for drying.

From Home Life in Colonial Days by Earle, Alice Morse