mangrove

IPA/ˈmæŋɡrəʊv/
KK[mˈænɡrˌov]IPA/ˈmænɡrəʊv/

mangrove — noun

  • mangrovesingular
  • mangrovesplural

1. a tree or bush that lives in warm, shallow saltwater along coasts and rivers, wi

1.nounB1
Definition

a tree or bush that lives in warm, shallow saltwater along coasts and rivers, with a tangle of roots that rise above the water or mud

Example

Nadia watched a small crab crawl among the mangrove roots at the river's edge.

collocation: mangrove roots

The local fishing village planted mangroves along the shore to protect the coast from storms.

passive: be planted to protect coastlines

Common collocations
  • mangrove forest
  • mangrove swamp
  • mangrove roots
  • mangrove ecosystem
  • mangrove tree

Usage Note

Often used in the plural form (mangroves) to refer to a dense area or thicket of these trees.

Common Mistakes

Mangrove is a kind of plant you find in the jungle.
Mangroves grow along warm coastal shorelines and riverbanks.
Mangroves are saltwater coastal trees, not inland jungle plants.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A mangrove is a specific type of salt-tolerant tree, while a wetland is any land area that stays waterlogged, such as a marsh or swamp. An estuary is the place where a river meets the sea, mixing fresh and salt water. Mangroves often grow in estuaries and form a type of coastal wetland. For example: 'The wetland near the river mouth is dense with mangroves.' Here, 'wetland' names the habitat and 'mangroves' names the trees that thrive there.

mangrove ↗wetland ↗estuary ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Prepositions

  • along (mangrove coast)
  • in (mangrove swamps)
  • among (mangrove roots)

Etymology

TainoPortugueseEnglish

The word 'mangrove' blends Portuguese 'mangue' (mangrove tree) with English 'grove' (a small group of trees). Portuguese borrowed 'mangue' from the Taino language spoken by Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean.

First known use

1613

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1