groyne

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 Middle English groyn (“snout”), from Old French groign, from Late Latin grunium, grunia, from Latin grunnire (“grunt like a pig”).

Groynes had been run down to intercept him and divert him. — Complete Short Works of George Meredith, George Meredith
In the evening when the wind had dropped a little, they went out on the groyne to see the steamer come in. — The Lady with the Dog and Other Stories, Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
There, as if really unable to get up again, he remained crouching under the groyne, looking up in an attitude of painful anxiety. — Ghost Stories of an Antiquary, M. R. (Montague Rhodes) James

breakwater, groin, mole, bulwark, seawall, jetty

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