Lake Definition, Examples & Usage

Meaning 1：inland body of water (lake)

lake 🔊

/leɪk/

a large area of water that is surrounded by land.

Serene lake surrounded by trees and mountains under blue sky

inland body of water 🔊

➕

/ˈɪnlənd ˈbɒdi əv ˈwɔːtər/

A lake is a large, still body of fresh or salt water, enclosed by land, larger than a pond.

📁 Category：Natural Geography 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Old English 'lacu', meaning 'stream, pool', from Proto-Germanic *lakō.

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine a large 'cake' (lake) of water, surrounded by land like a plate.

📖 Example

My family loves to have a picnic by the lake on weekends, and the children enjoy playing in the shallow water. 🔊 On weekends, my family enjoys picnicking by the lake; the kids love playing in the shallow water.

🔗 Collocations

lake shore – the land along the edge of a lake

lake bed – the bottom of a lake

lake water – the water in a lake

🔄 Synonyms

pond (n.) – a small body of still water, often man-made or smaller than a lake

mere (n.) – a poetic or dialect term for a lake or pond

reservoir (n.) – a natural or artificial lake used for storing water

🚫 Antonyms

ocean (n.) – a vast body of salt water covering most of the earth's surface

sea (n.) – a large body of salt water connected to an ocean

gulf (n.) – a deep inlet of the sea almost surrounded by land

🌱 Derivatives

laky (adj.) – resembling or characteristic of a lake

lakeland (n.) – a region with many lakes

lakefront (n.) – the land or area bordering a lake

📖 Cultural Story

Lake originates from Old English 'lacu', related to Latin 'lacus' (basin, lake). It replaced earlier 'mere' in common English usage during the Middle English period.