Lagune

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A shallow body of water separated from a larger sea or ocean by a barrier such as a sandy dune or coral reef
2. A coastal ecosystem typically characterized by brackish water and diverse wildlife
3. An area of water often found along coastlines that supports various forms of plant and animal life due to its unique conditions

Etymology: The English "lagoon" arrived by way of French, which borrowed it from the Venetian dialect word "laguna." That Venetian word traces back to Latin "lacūna," meaning a gap, hollow or pit, a sense that fits the shallow water trapped behind a barrier of sand or islands. The same Latin root also gave English "lacuna," a missing part of a text or an empty space in an argument, so the two words are cousins that went in very different directions. The sense of the word has narrowed and widened over time. In the lagoons of Venice, the word described the shallow, brackish stretch of water between the city and the open Adriatic, and its use spread from there to any similar body of water separated from the sea. Today the term is used for coastal ecosystems in general, where salt and fresh water mix and a wide range of wildlife depends on the shelter they offer.

Synonyms: lagoon, saltwater lagoon, coastal lagoon