sand

noun

/sænd/

Idioms

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[uncountable] a substance that consists of very small fine grains of rock. Sand is found on beaches, in deserts, etc.
- a grain of sand
- coarse/fine sand
- Concrete is a mixture of sand and cement.
- The children were playing in the sand (= for example, in a sandpit).
- The resort has its own white sand beach.
- His hair was the colour of sand.
- The beach is a gorgeous stretch of golden sand.
Topics Physics and chemistryb1, Holidaysb1
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- coarse
- fine
- hard
- …
… of sand
- grain
- layer
- handful
- …
verb + sand
- brush off
- dust off
- kick
- …
sand + verb
- blow
- fly
- cover something
- …
sand + noun
- beach
- dune
- bank
- …
preposition
- in the sand
- on the sand
phrases
- covered in sand
- covered with sand
See full entry
[uncountable, countable, usually plural] a large area of sand on a beach or in the desert
- We went for a walk along the sand.
- miles of golden sands
- the burning desert sands
Extra Examples
- We found her asleep on the sand.
- children playing on the sand
Topics Geographyb1, Holidaysb1
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- coarse
- fine
- hard
- …
… of sand
- grain
- layer
- handful
- …
verb + sand
- brush off
- dust off
- kick
- …
sand + verb
- blow
- fly
- cover something
- …
sand + noun
- beach
- dune
- bank
- …
preposition
- in the sand
- on the sand
phrases
- covered in sand
- covered with sand
See full entry

see also sandy

Word OriginOld English, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch zand and German Sand.

Idioms

bury/hide your head in the sand

to refuse to admit that a problem exists or refuse to deal with it

Synonyms coastcoast

beach
seaside
shore
coastline
sand
seashore

These are all words for the land beside or near to the sea, a river or a lake.

coast
the land next to or near to the sea or ocean:
- a town on the south coast of Georgia
- The coast road is closed due to bad weather.
It is nearly always the coast, except when it is uncountable: That’s a pretty stretch of coast.
beach
an area of sand, or small stones, next to the sea or a lake:
- She took the kids to the beach for the day.
- sandy beaches
seaside
(especially British English) an area that is by the sea, especially one where people go for a day or a holiday:
- a trip to the seaside
It is always the seaside, except when it is used before a noun: a seaside resort. The seaside is British English; in American English seaside is only used before a noun. Instead of go to the seaside you can say go to the ocean/beach/shore.
shore
(especially North American English) an area that is by the ocean or a lake, especially one where people go for a day or a vacation:
- Let's go to the shore.
- The reef runs along the island's north shore.
coastline
the land along a coast, especially when you are thinking of its shape or appearance:
- California’s rugged coastline
sand
a large area of sand on a beach:
- We went for a walk along the sand.
- a resort with miles of golden sands
the seashore
the land along the edge of the sea or ocean, usually where there is sand and rocks:
- He liked to look for shells on the seashore.

beach or seashore?Beach is usually used to talk about a sandy area next to the sea where people lie in the sun or play, for example when they are on holiday.Seashore is used more to talk about the area by the sea in terms of things such as waves, sea shells, rocks, etc, especially where people walk for pleasure.Patterns

along the coast/beach/shore/coastline/seashore
on the coast/beach/shore/coastline/sands/seashore
at the coast/beach/seaside/shore/seashore
by the coast/seaside/shore/seashore
a(n) rocky/unspoiled coast/beach/shore/coastline
to go to the coast/beach/seaside/shore/seashore

(draw) a line in the sand

(to establish) a clear limit to what you will do or accept
- It’s time to draw a line in the sand and stop allowing workplace bullying to continue.

(the) shifting sands (of something)

used to describe a situation that changes so often that it is difficult to understand or deal with it