# shoreline

/ˈʃɔɹˌɫaɪn/ (US) · /ʃˈɔːlaɪn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/shoreline
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. the edge of the water

noun · CEFR B1

the edge of a sea, lake, or ocean where it touches the land.

For teachers: the physical boundary where a body of water meets the land.

- We walked along the shoreline at sunset, watching the waves come in.
- The winter storms significantly eroded the shoreline, leaving several coastal properties vulnerable to the rising tides.

### 2. on a map

noun · CEFR B2

the line on a map that shows where the water and land meet.

For teachers: the cartographic representation of the boundary between land and water.

- The map shows a very jagged shoreline with many small bays.
- The cartographer spent weeks refining the shoreline on the new charts to ensure local sailors could navigate the rocky inlets safely.

Teaching tip: This sense is more technical and specific to geography or map-reading.

## Examples

- We walked along the shoreline at sunset.
- The recent storm caused significant erosion along the rocky shoreline, damaging several coastal homes.
- Ecologists are monitoring the shoreline to determine how rising sea levels might affect the nesting habits of local bird populations over the next decade.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.