barrier island
11
4.6
- noun
- /ˈbæriər ˈaɪlənd/
- Specialized
:
isla de barrera
- The barrier island protects the mainland from strong storms and high waves.
- coastal barrier island
- barrier island about 10 miles
Examples
-
Both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts are bordered by a chain of roughly 300 barrier islands.
Academic text (2000) -
Residents and visitors on Atlantic County's barrier islands are asked to evacuate by 4 p.m. on Sunday, October 28.
Blog text (28) -
Beyond them lie the barrier islands, which at this distance I cannot see.
Fiction book (1997) -
We may not be able to reach our barrier islands for up to a week from now.
Blog text (26) -
Now the barrier island protecting Rhodes Point is losing about seven and a half feet a year.
Academic text (1994) -
Dauphin Island is a barrier island south of Mobile, Alabama.
Academic text (2002) -
As the term suggests, barrier islands serve as natural buffers between storms and the mainland.
Academic text (2006) -
In addition to the sea gates, barrier islands would help protect the city from flooding and storm surges.
Blog text (23) -
Chatham sits on Pleasant Bay, which is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a barrier island known as North Beach.
Academic text (1991) -
Many of those newcomers flock to the barrier islands that ring Florida and other coastal states.
Academic text (2006)
How Protective
- Specialized
14
3.9
- Specialized
5
6.4
- Specialized
11
4.6
69
2.7
- US
11
2.8
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: an island that functions as a barrier protecting the coast, which can be inferred by combining 'barrier' (an obstacle that protects or blocks) with 'island' (land surrounded by water). Noun–noun compounds expressing function/role are common and cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can reliably deduce the meaning.
Etymology
The noun barrier island shows the idea: a long sandy island that serves as a barrier in front of the coast, taking the waves and storms so the mainland stays safer. That's why it means 'an island that protects the shore'.