marsh

marsh · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    An area of low-lying land that is flooded in wet seasons or at high tide, typically remaining waterlogged at all times; a wetland dominated by grasses and reeds.

  2. 2.

    (as modifier) Relating to or characteristic of marshes.

Forms

plural: marshes

Phrases & expressions

  • marsh gas — methane produced by decaying organic matter in wetlands
  • marsh marigold — a yellow-flowered plant found in wetlands
  • salt marsh — coastal wetland flooded by saltwater

Related words

Antonyms: desert, highland
See also: bog, fen, swamp, wetland
Synonyms: bog, fen, mire, swamp, wetland

Etymology

From Old English mersc or merisc ("marsh, swamp"), from Proto-Germanic mariskaz. Related to mere (lake) and Dutch moeras.