— estuarial /es'chooh air"ee euhl/ , adj.
/es"chooh er'ee/ , n. , pl. estuaries .
1. that part of the mouth or lower course of a river in which the river's current meets the sea's tide.
2. an arm or inlet of the sea at the lower end of a river.
[ 1530-40; aestuarium channel, creek, inlet, equiv. to aestu ( s ) tide + -arium -ARY ]