tombolo

American  

[tom-buh-loh] / ˈtɒm bəˌloʊ /

noun

plural

tombolos

1. a sandbar connecting an island to the mainland or to another island.

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tombolo British  

/ ˈtɒmbəˌləʊ /

noun

1. a narrow sand or shingle bar linking a small island with another island or the mainland

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tombolo Scientific  

/ tŏm′bə-lō′ /

1. A sand or gravel bar that connects an island to the mainland or to another island.

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Etymology

Origin of tombolo

First recorded in 1895–1900; from Italian, from Latin tumulus “mound, swelling”; see tumulus

Example Sentences

This tombolo, called “Angel Road,” connects the stack of Shodo Island, Japan.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2017

The tombolo behind the breakwater is now acting as a large groin in the beach drift.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2017

Eventually enough sediments accumulate to connect the island to the mainland with a tombolo.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

There is a good example of a tombolo in Figure 17.1, and another in Figure 17.22.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

The breakwaters have acted as islands and the sand has been deposited in the low-energy water behind them, in the same way that a tombolo forms.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015