Illustration of atoll
: a coral island consisting of a reef surrounding a lagoon
Did you know?
If you are lucky enough to sail south and west of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean, you'll find the Maldives, a group of about 1,200 coral islands and sandbanks that form the Republic of Maldives. Many islands in that independent nation demonstrate the archetypal atoll, and geographers often use them to point out the characteristic features of such coral islands. Given how prevalent atolls are there, it isn't surprising that atoll comes from the name for that kind of island in Divehi, the official language of the Maldives.
Examples of atoll in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Judge, an award-winning architect whose innovations in building focused on environmental sustainability, was hired by Brando to construct a home on the 12-island atoll of Tetiaroa, Tahiti.
—
Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 18 May 2024
The islands are clustered into atolls, based on their proximity to various coral reefs, and are surrounded by calm, azure-colored lagoons.
—Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2023
Her journey leads her to Fiji and on a tour of an isolated atoll—a volcanic island that disappears with each high tide.
—Lexi Carson, Variety, 9 May 2024
Maldives Peak season: November to April Off season: May to September
Last festive season, the Maldives saw a record number of private jets touch down in its atolls.
—Katie Lockhart, Robb Report, 9 May 2024
Hundreds of cays and atolls with colorful coral beneath the turquoise waters dot the Caribbean coastline.
—Melissa Locker, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2024
Another Coast Guard asset, an HC-130J Hercules aircraft based out of Air Station Barbers Point in Hawaii, flow over the atoll and located the fishermen, dropping a radio to establish communication, the Coast Guard said.
—Greg Wehner, Fox News, 12 Apr. 2024
The next day, the team flew over the atoll, and saw something written on the sand.
—Irene Wright, Sacramento Bee, 11 Apr. 2024
Over the last two decades China has occupied a number of reefs and atolls across the South China Sea, building up military installations, including runways and ports.
—Brad Lendon, CNN, 12 Aug. 2023
Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 18 May 2024
The islands are clustered into atolls, based on their proximity to various coral reefs, and are surrounded by calm, azure-colored lagoons.
—Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2023
Her journey leads her to Fiji and on a tour of an isolated atoll—a volcanic island that disappears with each high tide.
—Lexi Carson, Variety, 9 May 2024
Maldives Peak season: November to April Off season: May to September
Last festive season, the Maldives saw a record number of private jets touch down in its atolls.
—Katie Lockhart, Robb Report, 9 May 2024
Hundreds of cays and atolls with colorful coral beneath the turquoise waters dot the Caribbean coastline.
—Melissa Locker, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2024
Another Coast Guard asset, an HC-130J Hercules aircraft based out of Air Station Barbers Point in Hawaii, flow over the atoll and located the fishermen, dropping a radio to establish communication, the Coast Guard said.
—Greg Wehner, Fox News, 12 Apr. 2024
The next day, the team flew over the atoll, and saw something written on the sand.
—Irene Wright, Sacramento Bee, 11 Apr. 2024
Over the last two decades China has occupied a number of reefs and atolls across the South China Sea, building up military installations, including runways and ports.
—Brad Lendon, CNN, 12 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'atoll.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near atoll
Cite this Entry
“Atoll.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atoll. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
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