noun
mangrove
MANGG-rohv
noun
1
A tropical tree or shrub that grows in salty coastal shallows, supported by tangled above-ground roots.
"Mangrove roots help protect the coastline from erosion."
"The boat drifted slowly through a channel lined with mangroves."
2
A forest made up of such trees.
"They kayaked through the mangrove for hours, spotting herons along the way."
How to Use Mangrove
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA salt-tolerant coastal tree with roots that stand above the waterline, or the swampy forest it forms.
Common pairings
mangrove forest
mangrove swamp
mangrove roots
Word Forms
mangroves plural
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_____ roots help protect the coastline from erosion.
Etymology
Reshaped from an earlier form "mangrowe" under the influence of the unrelated word "grove." The original word likely came from Spanish mangle, borrowed from a Caribbean language.