Groyn

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A low wall or barrier built out into the sea from a beach to trap sand and slow coastal erosion
2. A structure extending from the shoreline into the water that catches drifting sand and protects the coast
3. An engineered breakwater projecting from the land into the sea to hold sediment and reduce the wearing away of shorelines

Etymology: A groyn is a low barrier built out from a beach into the sea to trap sand and slow erosion. Its name begins with a pig. It descends from Old French "groign," meaning a snout, which came from Latin "grunnire," "to grunt," an imitative verb. The same word gave English "groin," the part of the body where the abdomen meets the thigh, and the sea barrier shares that stem, probably through the idea of something projecting. The spelling "groyn" is the traditional British form, used mainly for the coastal structure, while "groin" is the usual spelling for the body part and is also used for the barrier in many places.

Synonyms: groyne, breakwater, jetty