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Glite Dictionary
Tidewater

Tidewater

7.5
A low-lying coastal area in eastern Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia affected by tides
  • noun
  • /ˈtaɪdˌwɔːtər/
  • US
translation icon : Tidewater
  • Residents of the tidewater area often experience unique wildlife due to the coastal environment.
  • Carolina tidewater
  • North Carolina tidewater

Examples

  • Ben became one actor in a cast of thousands that peopled the vast expanse of territory from North Carolina's tidewater to the rich soils of middle Florida.

    Academic text (2011)

  • The first was the steady south-by-southwest flow out of the Virginia and North Carolina tidewaters.

    Academic text (2011)

  • It too was tidewater, and the tide took him up to the very foot of Dun Bromgaw.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • Marcum's family moved to Sumter County, South Carolina, while Ben's family remained in North Carolina's tidewater.

    Academic text (2011)

  • In Virginia, the tidewater region features beautiful landscapes influenced by the surrounding waters.

  • The tidewater of South Carolina is known for its picturesque marshes and flat plains.

Synonyms

coastal plain
vsTidewater
4 3.0

A flat low area of land next to the sea

is limited to the named southeastern coastal region and tidal influence
Tidewater region
vsTidewater
  • US
7.4

A low coastal area in the southeastern United States near the Atlantic Ocean

is the same area but highlights tidal influence on flat plains

Surface Forms

Tidewater singular
Tidewaters plural

Morphology

Tidewater = tide + water (semi-transparent) = tide + water

Formed by the clear words 'tide' + 'water', but the specific meaning as a regional toponym (a named coastal region) is a specialized extension rather than a purely literal description.

Etymology

Tidewater comes from the parts tide and water, where tide means 'the rise and fall of the sea' and water means 'water'. It names the low coastal land where the sea's tides bring water in and out, and that movement shapes the land and life there.