breakwater

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

noun a protective structure of stone or concrete; extends from shore into the water to prevent a beach from washing away

From break + water. Compare Dutch breekwater (“breakwater”). Compare firebreak.

Within the breakwater the sea is alive with craft.' — Devon, Its Moorlands, Streams and Coasts, Rosalind Northcote
“I don't see the old breakwater,” said Maisie, under her breath. — The Works of Rudyard Kipling: One Volume Edition, Rudyard Kipling
The breakwater wasn't very far down the beach from his house. — The best short stories of 1919, and the yearbook of the American short story, Unknown

groin, groyne, mole, bulwark, seawall, jetty

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