marsh

¹

[mahrsh]

noun

1. a tract of low wet land, often treeless and periodically inundated, generally characterized by a growth of grasses, sedges, cattails, and rushes.

   Synonyms: wetland, marshland, fen, bog, swamp

Marsh

²

[mahrsh]

noun

1. Dame (Edith) Ngaio 1899–1982, New Zealand writer of detective novels.

2. Reginald, 1898–1954, U.S. painter and illustrator.

marsh

¹

/ mɑːʃ /

noun

1. low poorly drained land that is sometimes flooded and often lies at the edge of lakes, streams, etc Compare swamp

Marsh

²

/ mɑːʃ /

noun

1. Dame ( Edith ) Ngaio (ˈnaɪəʊ). 1899–1981, New Zealand crime writer, living in Britain (from 1928). Her many detective novels include Final Curtain (1947) and Last Ditch (1977)

2. Rodney ( William ). born 1947, Australian cricketer: a wicketkeeper, he took 355 dismissals in 96 test matches (1970–84)

marsh

1. An area of low-lying wetland in which the level of water is generally shallow and often fluctuating. The water may be either standing or slow-moving. The water in a marsh is also more or less neutral or alkaline, in contrast to the water in a bog, which is acidic. The environment of a marsh is in general well-oxygenated and nutrient-rich and allows a great variety of organisms to flourish. In contrast to a swamp, in which there is an abundance of woody plants, the plants in a marsh are mostly herbaceous. Reeds and rushes dominate the vegetation of marshes.

2. See also salt marsh

Other Word Forms

• marshlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of marsh¹

before 900; Middle English mershe, Old English mer ( i ) sc (cognate with German Marsch ). See mere ², -ish ¹; marais, marish, morass

Word History and Origins

Origin of marsh¹

Old English merisc; related to German Marsch, Dutch marsk; related to _mere ²

Example Sentences

The process of salt collection in San Francisco Bay was industrialised in the 1800s but now the bay's salt ponds are part of a major restoration project, bringing back tidal marshes and wildlife.

From BBC

It includes woodland, heathland, marshes and seven lakes, including Powell's Pool, where the teenager's body was discovered.

From BBC

They say restoring part of the lake and its marshes would revive vital habitat for wildlife, bringing the area a new park where people could fish, watch migrating birds and walk along the water’s edge.

From Los Angeles Times

The Florida Everglades are a unique environmental region comprising marshes, prairies, forests, mangroves and estuaries.

From BBC

Analysing gases in the air flowing around the marsh - over the course of a year - revealed how plants there "breathe in" more carbon dioxide in the summer than they release in winter.

From BBC