breakwater
/ˈbɹeɪkˌwɔːtə/ noun, proper noun
Forms breakwaters
- noun A construction in or around a harbour designed to break the force of the sea and to provide shelter for vessels lying inside.
- noun (nautical) A low bulkhead across the forecastle deck of a ship which diverts water breaking over the bows into the scuppers.
- noun (on beaches) A wooden or concrete barrier, usually perpendicular to the shore, intended to prevent the movement of sand along a coast.
- proper noun A suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Synonyms
Etymology
From break + water. Compare Dutch breekwater (“breakwater”). Compare firebreak.
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “breakwater”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details