breakwater
/ˈbreɪkwɔːtə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · [brˈekwˌɔtɚ] /ˈbreɪkwɔːtər/ (ame, ipa) · [brˈekwˌɔtɚ] /ˈbrāk-ˌwȯ-tər How to pronounce breakwater (audio) -ˌwä-/ (ame, mw)
breakwater — noun
1. a long, low wall made mostly of stones or concrete blocks that is built outward
a long, low wall made mostly of stones or concrete blocks that is built outward from a coast into the sea, in order to weaken incoming waves so that a harbour, a beach, or boats anchored nearby remain calm and safe.
A long stone breakwater stretched into the bay to shelter the fishing boats from winter storms.
typical phrasing: a [material] breakwater shelters X from Y
Children walked carefully along the slippery breakwater at low tide to look for crabs.
collocation: along the breakwater
The town built a concrete breakwater after big waves washed away part of the main beach.
Saira watched the waves crash against the breakwater outside her grandmother's seaside house.
Strong waves slowly damaged the old wooden breakwater that once protected the small harbour.
- seawall
a wall built along the shore to hold back the sea; usually parallel to land, not extending out into it
- jetty
a structure built into the sea that can act as a small breakwater or a landing place for boats
- groyne
a low wall built out into the sea mainly to stop sand on a beach from being washed away, not primarily to block waves
用法筆記
Subject of 'protect' or 'shelter' is typically a breakwater; the protected object is a harbour, beach, boats, or coastline. Often paired with materials ('stone', 'concrete', 'wooden') and prepositions ('along', 'against', 'beyond').