often attributive
: a tract of soft wet land usually characterized by monocotyledons (such as grasses or cattails)

Examples of marsh in a Sentence

a wide expanse of marsh the marshes along the coast support a remarkable profusion of plants and animals
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The marshes were drained, in stages, between 1829 and the 1950s, but this remained a remote, sparsely populated place of scattered villages, boar hunting, and driftwood beaches. Lee Marshall, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2025 The loss of these freshwater marshes reduces the capacity of the Everglades to remove phosphorus from the water. John Kominoski, The Conversation, 15 Apr. 2025 Other films from territories seen more rarely on the big screen include Iraqi director Hasan Hadi’s The President’s Cake set in Iraq’s little filmed marshes area against the backdrop of President Saddam Hussein’s rule in the 1990s. Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 15 Apr. 2025 Try the Summer Lake Wildlife Area for birdwatching in the marshes and camping beneath the cosmos. Stephanie Vermillion, Outside Online, 10 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for marsh

Word History

Etymology

Middle English mersh, from Old English merisc, mersc; akin to Middle Dutch mersch marsh, Old English mere sea, pool — more at marine

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of marsh was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Marsh.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marsh. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

marsh

noun
: an area of soft wet land usually overgrown by grasses and sedges
marshy
ˈmär-shē
adjective

Biographical Definition

Marsh

biographical name

Dame (Edith) Ngaio ˈnī-(ˌ)ō How to pronounce Marsh (audio) 1899–1982 New Zealand writer

More from Merriam-Webster on marsh

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