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beach

Syllabification: (beach)

Pronunciation: /bēCH/

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Definition of beach

noun

a pebbly or sandy shore, especially by the ocean between high- and low-water marks.

verb

[with object]

run or haul up (a boat or ship) onto a beach:at the water’s edge a rowboat was beached [no object]:crews would not beach for fear of damaging craft
(often as adjective beached) cause (a whale or similar animal) to become stranded out of the water.
[no object] (of a whale or similar animal) become stranded out of the water.
(of an angler) land (a fish) on a beach.
cause (someone) to suffer a loss:competitive procurement seems to have beached several companies

Origin:

mid 16th century (denoting shingle on the seashore): perhaps related to Old English bæce, bece 'brook' (an element that survives in place names such as Wisbech and Sandbach), assuming an intermediate sense 'pebbly river valley'

beach in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of beach in the British & World English dictionary

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