shoreline
Americannoun
-
shorelines
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of shoreline
Explanation
The shoreline is the place where a large body of water, like an ocean, lake, or river, meets the land. There are a lot of fun beaches along the Atlantic shoreline. You can use the noun shoreline to talk about the strip that marks the boundary between land and water, whether it's at the edge of an ocean, sea, lake, or river. While the word "coast" refers specifically to the ocean, shoreline or shore can be used for any body of water. The word was first coined in the mid-1800's by geographers, and its root is the Germanic schor, "shore, coast, or headland."
Vocabulary lists containing shoreline
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:
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has hit back at Donald Trump by installing a large sign on Canada's shoreline with the message: "Lake Ontario. Now and Always."
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
SpaceX said it would also work with state and federal agencies to restore wetlands and protect the state’s shoreline.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
The company will partner with government agencies on shoreline protection and wildlife conservation, according to Shotwell.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Videos and photos circulating on social media show piles of rocks, chunks of concrete and rusted metal rods after waves removed layers of sand along the shoreline.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
I felt excited, but a little panicked, too, as I sped down the creek, squinting into the icy spray and scanning the thick tangle of brown brush and newly budding trees along the narrow shoreline.
From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings
Perhaps, if the Navy had moved away from large aircraft carriers and more toward small ships that could attack with speed and stealth along shorelines.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
Beyond storing carbon, mangroves play a critical role in shielding shorelines from storms, supporting wildlife, and helping sustain coastal communities.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 5, 2026
The sun hangs in the middle of the sky as I drive toward one of the most rapidly changing shorelines in California.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2026
Targets: They are designed to protect shorelines and islands from approaching ships and landing craft.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 12, 2026
A tugboat made its way down the river, causing the water to crash into the rocks along the shorelines.
From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser
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.
