Meaning & use
machair
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable or uncountableScottishregionaltechnical
A low, grassy coastal plain found behind sand dunes, especially in western Scotland and Ireland.
Grammar: Can be used as a countable noun for a particular area ('a machair') or as an uncountable noun for the habitat in general ('areas of machair').
Patterns
- a machair
- areas of machair
- on the machair
The machair along the west coast is famous for its wildflowers in summer.
Many birds nest on the machair, which is protected as a habitat.
The crofters graze their cattle on the machair during the winter.
Word forms
| plural | machairs |
|---|
Common combinations
- on the machair
- The sheep were grazing on the machair.
- machair grassland
- Machair grassland supports a rich variety of plants.
- coastal machair
- The coastal machair is a rare and fragile environment.
Synonyms and how they differ
- links
- Links are sandy coastal areas, often with dunes and grass, but the term is more general and does not specifically mean the low, fertile plain behind the dunes.
- dune pasture
- This is a descriptive phrase for grassy land behind dunes; machair is the more precise term used in Scotland and Ireland.
Commonly confused: machair or machete?
machair vs machete
A machete is a large knife, while machair is a type of coastal land. They are completely different words despite the similar spelling.
Practice
Where would you most likely find a machair?
Choose one answer.
A machair is a low, grassy plain behind sand dunes on the coast, especially in western Scotland and Ireland. The other options describe environments where machair does not occur.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “machair”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.