loch
noun
ˈläk 
ˈläḵ
ˈläḵ 1
Scotland : lake
2
Scotland : a bay or arm of the sea especially when nearly landlocked
Synonyms
- arm
- bay
- bight
- cove
- creek [chiefly British]
- embayment
- estuary
- firth
- fjord
- fiord
- gulf
- inlet
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
in his biography of Samuel Johnson, James Boswell tells of being conducted by a Scottish boatman “across one of the lochs, as they call them, or arms of the sea”
Recent Examples on the Web But some scientists doubt that an ancient dinosaur could have survived in the loch's dark and frigid water, as it was formed only 10,000 years ago during the Ice Age. 
Tori B. Powell, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2022 With its very own loch, the surrounding area is rich with hunting and fishing activities. Roger Sands, Forbes, 26 Jan. 2022 This small loch in the heart of the Cairngorms in the Scottish Highlands comes into its own in late summer, when the flies die down and the crowds head home. Joe Minihane, CNN, 29 Oct. 2021 Tourists have long flocked to Drumnadrochit and other towns along the loch for a glimpse of whatever might be lurking in the water. James Hookway, WSJ, 30 July 2021 Clay pigeon shooting, archery and falconry are available on the estate with trout fishing accessible on the loch. Laurie Werner, Forbes, 31 May 2021 Mysterious little asides appear between each chapter, in which the woodland creatures around the loch give silent and often creepy watch over the humans’ goings-on. Erin Berger, Outside Online, 3 Mar. 2021 But the loch itself is also a beautiful part of Scotland’s stunning landscape. Andrea Romano, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2020 Kelpie, a flame-haired Scot, is modeled on mythical sirens who would lure the unsuspecting to a watery death in a Scottish loch. James Hookway, WSJ, 4 Mar. 2020 See More
Tori B. Powell, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2022 With its very own loch, the surrounding area is rich with hunting and fishing activities. Roger Sands, Forbes, 26 Jan. 2022 This small loch in the heart of the Cairngorms in the Scottish Highlands comes into its own in late summer, when the flies die down and the crowds head home. Joe Minihane, CNN, 29 Oct. 2021 Tourists have long flocked to Drumnadrochit and other towns along the loch for a glimpse of whatever might be lurking in the water. James Hookway, WSJ, 30 July 2021 Clay pigeon shooting, archery and falconry are available on the estate with trout fishing accessible on the loch. Laurie Werner, Forbes, 31 May 2021 Mysterious little asides appear between each chapter, in which the woodland creatures around the loch give silent and often creepy watch over the humans’ goings-on. Erin Berger, Outside Online, 3 Mar. 2021 But the loch itself is also a beautiful part of Scotland’s stunning landscape. Andrea Romano, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2020 Kelpie, a flame-haired Scot, is modeled on mythical sirens who would lure the unsuspecting to a watery death in a Scottish loch. James Hookway, WSJ, 4 Mar. 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English (Scots) louch, from Scottish Gaelic loch; akin to Latin lacus lake — more at lake
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
lochs
noun
as in estuaries
a part of a body of water that extends beyond the general shoreline in his biography of Samuel Johnson, James Boswell tells of being conducted by a Scottish boatman "across one of the lochs, as they call them, or arms of the sea" Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- estuaries
- bays
- firths
- coves
- creeks
- fjords
- gulfs
- inlets
- arms
- fiords
- ports
- bayous
- embayments
- roads
- bights
- harbors
- straits
- sounds
- backwaters
- roadsteads
- sloughs
- narrows
- slues
- slews
