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

See Examples For:

tidewater

As temperatures continue rising around the Antarctic Peninsula, more glaciers are losing their protective ice tongues and becoming tidewater glaciers, meaning their termini rest directly on the seabed.

From Science Daily ● May 19, 2026

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

Their mission: Save the lives of northern tidewater gobies, a tiny endangered fish.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 23, 2025

Organizers of the triathlon did not receive confirmation of the tidewater goby’s presence in the Zuma Beach underpass until late August.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2023

I stopped in the middle of this hurrying day to remember him like that, and then, feeling refreshed, I went on to the Crew House beside the tidewater river below the dam.

From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles

Related Words

• inlet
• waterway