atoll

Meaning

A type of island consisting of a ribbon reef that nearly or entirely surrounds a lagoon and supports, in most cases, one to many islets on the reef platform.

Synonyms

circular coral reef

lagoon island

atoll reef

Translations

atoll

atolón

atollo

Atoll

atol

atol

atol

koraaleiland

ατόλλη

atol

mercanada

récif corallien circulaire

الحلقة المرجانية

atol·ló

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈætɒl/

Etymology

Borrowed from Portuguese atol, from Dhivehi އަތޮޅު (atoḷu), possibly from Prakrit *𑀲𑀁𑀢𑀻𑀞 (*saṃtīṭha), from Sanskrit *संतीर्थ (*saṃtīrtha, “level ford”). The traditional etymology from Persian آبتل (âb-tal, “water-hillock”) is unlikely.