brackish

[ brak-ish ]
See synonyms for: brackishbrackishness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. somewhat salty or briny, as the water in an estuary or salt marsh, which is not as salty as the sea but saltier than a river: These brackish swamps are some of the state’s most important ecosystems.

  2. distasteful; unpleasant: The coffee was brackish and stale.

Origin of brackish

1
First recorded in 1550–60; from Dutch brak “salty” + -ish1 (in the sense “somewhat”)

Other words from brackish

  • brack·ish·ness, noun

Words Nearby brackish

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use brackish in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for brackish

brackish

/ (ˈbrækɪʃ) /


adjective
  1. (of water) slightly briny or salty

Origin of brackish

1
C16: from Middle Dutch brac salty; see -ish

Derived forms of brackish

  • brackishness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for brackish

brackish

[ brăkĭsh ]


  1. Containing a mixture of seawater and fresh water. Brackish water is somewhat salty.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.