noun
headland
HED-lund/ˈhedlənd/
A narrow piece of high land projecting into water.
A rocky headland rises above the waves at the bay's entrance.
Etymology
Head and land first named the unplowed strip at a field’s edge, where a plow could turn. The later coastal sense applies the compound to a cape or promontory.
In context
where there was such a headland standing out so stark into the sea there ought to be some shelter in its lee.
More examples
- The trail follows a narrow headland jutting into the ocean.
- A lighthouse stands at the tip of the headland.
- Steep headlands shelter the beach from strong winds.
Forms
headland · headlands
Similar words
- cape
- Often a larger coastal projection, not necessarily high or narrow.
- promontory
- Emphasizes elevated land jutting outward, sometimes over lower ground.
- point
- Emphasizes a tapering projection into water, regardless of height.