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onshore

onshore

15 3.5
Located on land near the sea or moving from the sea toward the land
  • adjective
  • /ˈɒnˌʃɔːr/
translation icon : costero
  • The beach was crowded with people enjoying the warm onshore air.
  • an onshore breeze
  • an onshore wind
  • onshore and offshore

It could unlock vast amounts of intermittent renewable generation such as PV, such as onshore and offshore wind, onto our energy grid.

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Examples

  • A trough inside the Pacific Ocean led to an onshore flow.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • The wind gusted onshore, whipping the waves, snatching wisps of spume from the gray curl of the breakers.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Like, it was a really bad onshore wind.

  • Maybe we'll get the onshore wind tomorrow.

  • Why do you live onshore?

  • Hundreds of boats were left onshore.

  • Sea and weather conditions at the time were mild, with a very slight onshore breeze blowing out of the southwest.

    Academic text (1994)
  • A breeze had sprung up from the west: an onshore flow with the faint, astringent scent of the sea.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Insubstantial clouds of fog, the lowest parts of a solid cloud cover, floated slowly onshore.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The strong onshore winds brought the waves crashing onto the beach.

Synonyms

coastal
vsonshore
129 2.4

Near the sea or ocean

matches location but the key also includes movement toward the land
ashore
vsonshore
111 1.5

Onto the land from the sea or other water

includes both being on land near the sea and movement toward land
by the sea
vsonshore
25 1.0

Close to the sea at the edge of the land

adds movement toward the land as an additional meaning
nearshore
vsonshore
1 3.5

Close to the shore where the water is shallow

is broader, also covering movement toward land as well as location
shoreward
vsonshore
3.9

Moving toward the shore from the water

is broader, meaning on land near the sea or moving toward it
inshore
vsonshore
5.6

A wind coming from the sea toward the land

applies to general land location or movement, not only winds or currents
coastward
vsonshore
4.6

Moving toward the shore

is more general, covering being on land by the sea as well
landward
vsonshore
6.7

Toward the land and away from the sea

focuses also on being located on land near the sea, not only movement
landwards
vsonshore
  • UK
6.8

Toward the land and away from the sea

adds that it can also mean located on land near the sea
shoreside
vsonshore
4.1

Near the edge of a body of water

covers the same near-coast location but may include movement toward land
coastside
vsonshore
  • US
3.7

Near the sea, used for towns and places by the water

is similar but puts extra emphasis on being on land or moving there
beachside
vsonshore
2.0

At the edge of a beach, close to the sea

is broader, not limited to beaches and includes movement toward land

Antonyms

141 3.7

At sea away from the land

How Near

onshore
15 3.5
inshore
1 4.2
nearshore
1 3.5
offshore
141 3.7
seaward
1 3.6

Surface Forms

onshore positive

Morphology

onshore = shore (transparent) = on + shore

Literal composition 'on' + 'shore' directly describes being at or toward the land and is readily inferable by learners. [Postprocessing: moved 'on' from base_words to prefix]

Etymology

Onshore is simply on- + shore, where 'on' means 'on' and shore means 'land by the sea'. So an onshore wind or wave comes 'onto the land' or moves toward the beach.