brackish

adjective

brack·​ish ˈbra-kish How to pronounce brackish (audio)
1
: somewhat salty
brackish water
2
a
: not appealing to the taste
brackish tea
b
: repulsive
a brackish personality
brackishness noun

Did you know?

When the word brackish first appeared in English in the 1500s, it simply meant "salty," as did its Dutch parent brak. (English speakers also adopted the synonymous brack from the same source but it gets very little use.) Then, as now, brackish was used to describe water that was a mixture of saltwater and freshwater, such as one encounters where a river meets the sea. Since that time, however, brackish has developed the additional meanings of "unpalatable" and "repulsive," presumably because of the oozy, mucky, and sometimes stinky (or stinkyish, if you prefer)—not just salty—qualities of coastal estuaries and swamps.

Examples of brackish in a Sentence

the office coffee is often some brackish brew that's been sitting around for a couple of hours the river becomes brackish as we approach the tidemark
Recent Examples on the Web Related Story Why Do Viruses Exist, Anyway? Vibrio naturally live in coastal waters, including salt water and brackish water, which is a mixture of salt and fresh water. Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 6 Sep. 2023 Slow-moving brackish water, threatening to swallow whatever comes near, menaces in the background. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2024 Israel has also cut off water, forcing many to rely on brackish wells. TIME, 15 Oct. 2023 According to the 2023 survey, juvenile oysters were found in areas where they are rarely observed, including parts of Chesapeake Bay tributaries that in the past have been considered too brackish or otherwise not suited to significant oyster reproduction. Joe Heim, Washington Post, 12 Jan. 2024 American alligators are commonly found in freshwater lakes and slow-moving rivers and in brackish water habitats, but rarely in salt water, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 22 Dec. 2023 Experts say Dubai’s reliance on desalination is damaging the Persian Gulf, producing a brackish waste known as brine which, along with chemicals used during desalination processing, increases salinity in the Gulf. Arielle Paul, New York Times, 18 Nov. 2023 The site is called Soul Mates, and Allison and Jason, trapped in a brackish green industrial maze, are about to go through a hookup from hell. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 18 Oct. 2023 Also avoid going in warm saltwater or brackish water, hot tubs and swimming pools and eating raw seafood, like crab, oysters or sushi. Justine Griffin Tampa Bay Times (tns), al, 22 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'brackish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Dutch brac salty; akin to Middle Low German brac salty

First Known Use

circa 1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of brackish was circa 1552

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Cite this Entry

“Brackish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brackish. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

brackish

adjective
brack·​ish ˈbrak-ish How to pronounce brackish (audio)
: somewhat salty
brackish water

More from Merriam-Webster on brackish

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