tidewater

American  

[tahyd-waw-ter, -wot-er] / ˈtaɪdˌwɔ tər, -ˌwɒt ər /

noun

1. water affected by the flow and ebb of the tide.

2. the water covering tideland at flood tide.

3. seacoast.

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tidewater British  

/ ˈtaɪdˌwɔːtə /

noun

1. water that advances and recedes with the tide

2. water that covers land that is dry at low tide

3. 1. coastal land drained by tidal streams

   2. ( as modifier )

      tidewater regions

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tidewater Scientific  

/ tīd′wô′tər /

1. Water that inundates land at flood tide.

2. Water affected by the tides, especially tidal streams.

3. Low coastal land drained by tidal streams.

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Etymology

Origin of tidewater

First recorded in 1765–75; tide ¹ + water

Example Sentences

Many Antarctic glaciers are tidewater glaciers, meaning they sit on the ocean floor and extend into the sea, where they release icebergs.

From Science Daily • Feb. 26, 2026

When a tidewater glacier thins enough, it can lift off the seabed and begin floating on the ocean surface.

From Science Daily • Feb. 26, 2026

More than 750 tidewater gobies were rescued from a Malibu lagoon scorched by the Palisades fire.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 1, 2025

But this year, the event was on the verge of cancellation after the belated discovery of the tidewater goby, an endangered fish, in an underpass on the biking course.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 26, 2023

Faced with the obvious folly of his original ambition, to walk five hundred miles to tidewater, he reconsidered his plans.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer

Related Words

• inlet
• waterway