Meaning & use
ebb current
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountabletechnical
The flow of water away from the shore as the tide falls.
Grammar: Countable; used with 'a' or 'the'. Often appears in the plural 'ebb currents'.
Patterns
- the ebb current
- ebb currents
The ebb current carried the small boat out to sea.
Fishermen prefer to set their nets when the ebb current is weak.
The ebb current can be dangerous for swimmers near the harbor mouth.
Word forms
| plural | ebb currents |
|---|
Common combinations
- strong ebb current
- A strong ebb current swept the debris away from the beach.
- ebb current runs
- The ebb current runs for about six hours after high tide.
- fight the ebb current
- The swimmers had to fight the ebb current to get back to shore.
- ebb current direction
- Check the ebb current direction before you launch the kayak.
Synonyms and how they differ
- outgoing tide
- Everyday term for the same movement; 'ebb current' is more technical and refers to the water flow itself.
- ebb tide
- Refers to the whole period when the tide is falling, not just the current; 'ebb current' is the moving water.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: ebb current or flood current?
ebb current vs flood current
The flood current flows toward the shore as the tide rises; the ebb current flows away from the shore.
Practice
The ____ current pulled the raft away from the beach.
Choose one answer.
'Ebb current' flows away from the shore, which matches 'pulled the raft away from the beach'. 'Flood current' would push it toward the shore, and 'rip' is a different kind of current.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ebb current”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.