noun
inlet
IN-let/ˈɪnlet/
A narrow opening through which fluid enters.
Seawater passes through the narrow inlet into the sheltered inner channel.
Etymology
The pieces express “letting in”: an inlet originally meant a passage through which an enclosed place could be entered. Applied to a coast, this became a narrow water passage into the land.
In context
Loch Lao Belfast lough is a large sea inlet
can come in through the inlet like a moving wall of water
More examples
- Dust blocks the air inlet on the vacuum cleaner.
- Check the fuel inlet for leaks before starting the engine.
- The washing machine has separate inlets for hot and cold water.
Forms
inlet · inlets
Similar words
- intake
- Often names the whole structure that draws fluid in.
- port
- Can admit or release fluid, rather than only admit it.