beaches

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of beach.

   Storms reshaped several beaches along the southern shoreline this winter.

   The town maintains its beaches with regular cleaning and patrols.

   Note

   The -es spelling follows the rule for nouns that end in -ch: a bare -s cannot attach, so the plural gains a syllable, just as church becomes churches. The same spelling also serves the verb form, so context decides which is meant. The town's beaches are places, while a captain who beaches a boat is doing something.

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present of beach.

   The captain beaches the landing craft on the sandbar at low tide.

   A lone whale occasionally beaches itself along this stretch of coast.

   Note

   Behind this form sits a verb that works both ways. A vessel beaches on its own, or a crew beaches it, and the reflexive beaches itself is how a stranded whale is described. Drivers use the word too, for a vehicle that runs onto rough or soft ground until its floor rests there and the wheels spin without grip.

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