to threaten (someone).
to offer or proffer (something).
the land along the edge of a sea, lake, or wide river
land, as opposed to water (esp in the phrase on shore )
( as modifier )
shore duty
law the tract of coastland lying between the ordinary marks of high and low water
(often plural) a country
his native shores
What is a basic definition of shore? A shore is land that is located along the edge of a body of water. Shore can also be used more generally to mean any land or a particular country. As a verb, shore means to support something. If a certain area of land touches or runs alongside a body of water, it is a shore. For example, a fisherman would stand at a river’s shore while fishing in it. A shore is similar to a coast or a beach. A coast is a shore that specifically meets the ocean. A beach is a part of a shore covered in sand and pebbles.
Shore, bank, beach, coast refer to an edge of land abutting on an ocean, lake, or other large body of water. Shore is the general word: The ship reached shore. Bank denotes the land along a river or other watercourse, sometimes steep but often not: The river flows between its banks. Beach refers to sandy or pebbly margins along a shore, especially those made wider at ebb tide: a private beach for bathers. Coast applies only to land along an ocean: the Pacific coast.
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English score, Old English scora (recorded only in place names); cognate with Middle Dutch, Middle Low German schore; perhaps akin to shear
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English noun shore, score; cognate with Middle Low German, Middle Dutch schore “prop”; the verb is derivative of the noun
First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English ( Scots ) schore, of uncertain origin and meaning
The land right at the edge of a lake, river, or ocean is called the shore. Even the bravest swimmers will head for the shore when they hear someone yell "Shark!" The verb shore means "prop up or support," so you might shore up a house that's tilting on its foundation or shore up a failing company with an investment of money. The water's-edge shore has a Germanic root that means "cut," and experts believe that the noun shore grew either from a sense of "division between land and water," or possibly "land cut off from the mainland by marshes."
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Iran sits on the northern side of the narrow waterway, while Omani territory occupies the top of the point of land jutting out of the southern shore.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
The marine heat wave is also pushing great white sharks nearer to the shore -- a rare sight.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Witnesses say a heroic day-tripper managed to haul two children back to shore during an incident where a mother and daughter drowned.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
According to ABC 7, a couple spotted Jackie sparring with two younger eagles on the lake shore last Friday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
It was close to shore and the main floe in Norton Sound.
From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell
Whether South Shore Academy, the high school where Varley worked should be involved in the inquest, was a matter still to be resolved, the hearing was told.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Tents, cabanas and canopies have been banned along stretches of the Jersey Shore for the last two years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2026
Historians Timothy Snyder and Marci Shore, as well as philosopher Jason Stanley, left their jobs at Yale University to take positions at the University of Toronto.
From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2026
The Wall Street Journal asked Louise Bernard, the museum’s director, and Virginia Shore, the curator behind the commissioned art, for a guide to nine must-see pieces.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
Chesapeake Bay forms the western boundary of the section of Maryland which is sometimes called Tidewater Maryland, sometimes called the Eastern Shore.
From "Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad" by Ann Petry
They’d loved hiking the Great Wall of China and participating in 150-mile bike rides, and had shored up their finances to retire early.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026
Alphabet has shored up its advertising dominance while setting a new path as a top AI merchant.
From Barron's ● Jun. 19, 2026
A compromise on nuclear enrichment could have shored up the regime.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 1, 2026
By borrowing to spend, the chancellor and prime minister have shored up their immediate position in parliament and it appears to put to bed the shocking doubts about passing their budgets.
From BBC ● Nov. 26, 2025
The sides of the pit had to be shored with timber.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
In the case of 14 Gay Street in lower Manhattan, owners alleged Domani didn’t inform them of the entire north bearing foundational wall being removed without the installation of shoring.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Since then, emergency work has consisted of installing temporary shoring and reinforcement beams, the mayor explained.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
As a method of coping and of shoring up the land, Ragusa enlisted a Sierra Madre company called Hardy Californians to plant a remediation seed mix across her lot.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
He called Malone for help shoring up his balance sheet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 6, 2026
The old fool of an Abbot and his stupid devoted band of creatures were all outside, shoring up gatehouses, drilling, fetching, carrying and generally being good and useful.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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.
