ENGLISH
REFERENCE

fjord

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈfjɔɹd// UK //fɪˈɔːd// fjord

n. a long, deep, narrow sea inlet that was carved out by glaciers. You often find these in places with very cold climates, like Norway.

n. a long, narrow inlet of the sea, typically with steep sides or cliffs, created by glacial activity and later flooded by the sea.


SIMPLE

We took a boat tour through the deep blue fjord.

CONTEXTUAL

The rugged beauty of the Norwegian fjords attracts millions of tourists every summer who want to see the steep cliffs and waterfalls.

COMPLEX

Geologists believe that the deep valleys of the fjord were originally carved by ancient glaciers before the rising sea levels filled them with saltwater.

Synonyms
Origin

Unadapted borrowing from Norwegian fjord, from Old Norse fjǫrðr, from Proto-Germanic ferþu, ferþuz (“inlet, fjord”), from Proto-Indo-European pértus (“crossing”), from per- (“to carry forth”) + *-tus (suffix forming action nouns from verb roots). Doublet of firth, ford, port, and fjard.

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