Added 9 October 2026
atoll
/ˈætɒl/ noun
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about atoll at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- An island consisting of a circular coral reef surrounding a lagoon.
Origin
Borrowed from Portuguese atol, from Dhivehi އަތޮޅު (atoḷu), possibly from Prakrit *𑀲𑀁𑀢𑀻𑀞 (*saṃtīṭha), from Sanskrit सम्- (sam-) + तीर्थ (tīrtha) “level ford”. The traditional etymology from Persian آبتل (âb-tal, “water-hillock”) is unlikely.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)