Meaning & use
sand dune
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A hill or ridge of sand that the wind has built up, especially on a beach or in a desert.
Grammar: Countable: one sand dune, two sand dunes. Use 'a' or 'the' before it.
Patterns
- a sand dune
- the sand dunes
- sand dunes form
We climbed to the top of a huge sand dune to watch the sunset.
The sand dunes along the coast are protected to stop erosion.
Strong winds slowly move the sand dunes across the desert.
Word forms
| plural | sand dunes |
|---|
Common combinations
- sand dune
- A single sand dune can be as tall as a house.
- sand dunes
- The sand dunes stretch for miles along the beach.
- climb a sand dune
- It's hard work to climb a steep sand dune.
- coastal sand dunes
- Coastal sand dunes provide a habitat for many rare plants.
Synonyms and how they differ
- dune
- A shorter, more general word; it can also refer to dunes of other materials, though it usually means sand.
Word family
- dune noun
- A mound or ridge of sand, especially one formed by wind.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'sand dune' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The correct sentence uses 'sand dune' as a singular countable noun with 'the'. Option 0 is wrong because 'sand dune' is singular and needs 'was' not 'were'. Option 2 is wrong because a sand dune is made of sand, not rock. Option 3 is grammatically fine but less natural; option 1 is the most natural and correct.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sand dune”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.