marsh
gb/mˈɑɹʃ/ us/mˈɑɹʃ/
B2
English
~ 10000
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
entity
1
low, wet land with grasses
Low, very wet land where the ground is soft and many grasses or reeds grow.
Usage pattern:
a [adjective] marsh
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "marsh" with "swamp" or "bog". A marsh usually has grasses and few or no trees, while a swamp often has trees. Another common mistake is confusing the word "marsh" with the verb "march" (to walk in a regular, military way); they have different meanings and pronunciations.
Synonyms
swamp (Often suggests deeper water and trees, and can sound wilder or more difficult to move through than a marsh.)
|
wetland (A more general and often technical term that includes marshes, swamps, and bogs.)
|
bog (Typically used for very wet, spongy ground with peat; more specific and often smaller than a marsh.)
Antonyms
dry land (Refers to land that is not waterlogged and is easy to walk or build on, the opposite condition of a marsh.)
Collocations
salt marsh
|coastal marsh
|marsh grass
|marsh bird
|marsh area
Themes
nature
|geography
|environment
|science
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The village was built on a small hill surrounded by marsh.
- Migrating birds stopped to feed in the coastal marsh during their long journey south.
- In spring, the marsh floods and the footpath disappears under the water.
- Scientists are studying how the marsh filters pollution from the river.
- They lost their boots in the thick mud of the marsh.
Learner examples
- Many birds live in the marsh.
- The ground in the marsh is very soft and wet.
- We walked near the marsh but did not go inside it.
- Farmers cannot grow crops in this marsh.
- The town is close to a big marsh by the sea.
Grammar
Dictionary form
marsh
IPA
GB/mˈɑɹʃ/
US/mˈɑɹʃ/
Syllables & stress
marsh (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (marsh)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: marsh
- Plural: marsh, marshes
Word family
Forms
marshes
noun
Core family
marshy
adjective
Related words
marshland
noun
Expressions
coastal marsh
1/kˈoʊstəl mˈɑɹʃ/
fixed phrase
marsh near the sea
A wet, low area of land close to the sea or ocean.
Examples
- The coastal marsh acts as a natural barrier against flooding.
- Birdwatchers visit the coastal marsh every spring to see rare species.
freshwater marsh
1/fɹˈɛʃwˌɔtɚ mˈɑɹʃ/
fixed phrase
marsh with non-salty water
A wet, low area of land away from the sea where the water is not salty.
Examples
- The park includes a large freshwater marsh that is home to many frogs.
- They studied how plants in the freshwater marsh change with the seasons.
marsh gas
1/mˈɑɹʃ ɡˈæs/
fixed phrase
technical
methane gas from wetland decay
Methane gas that is made when plants rot in very wet places like marshes.
Examples
- The scientist measured the amount of marsh gas released from the wetland.
- Marsh gas can collect in low areas and sometimes catches fire.
salt marsh
1/sˈɔlt mˈɑɹʃ/
fixed phrase
coastal marsh with salty water
A wet, low area of land near the sea that is often covered by salty water and has many grasses.
Examples
- The coastline here is made up of wide salt marsh and mudflats.
- Salt marsh ecosystems provide important protection from storm waves.