swamp
A swamp is a low area of land that is always very wet or covered with water. It usually has many trees and plants growing in it and is often home to animals like frogs and alligators.
Examples
3 of 5The children saw a large green frog in the swamp.
The children saw a large green frog in the swamp.
The environmental report identifies the swamp as a protected zone.
The environmental report identifies the swamp as a protected zone.
Watch out! The ground near that swamp is really muddy.
Watch out! The ground near that swamp is really muddy.
Word Family
Memory Tip
Think of a 'Swan' in a 'Damp' place. Swan + Damp = Swamp.
Quick Quiz
The hikers got their boots very dirty while walking through the wet ____.
Correct!
The correct answer is: swamp
Examples
The children saw a large green frog in the swamp.
everydayThe children saw a large green frog in the swamp.
The environmental report identifies the swamp as a protected zone.
formalThe environmental report identifies the swamp as a protected zone.
Watch out! The ground near that swamp is really muddy.
informalWatch out! The ground near that swamp is really muddy.
Swamps play a crucial role in filtering water within the local ecosystem.
academicSwamps play a crucial role in filtering water within the local ecosystem.
The developers decided not to build on the swamp due to high costs.
businessThe developers decided not to build on the swamp due to high costs.
Word Family
Common Collocations
Common Phrases
swamped with work
having too much work to do
drain the swamp
to remove people or things that are harmful
swamp monster
a creature that lives in a swamp
Often Confused With
A swamp has many trees; a marsh mostly has grasses and no trees.
A lake is a large body of open water; a swamp is land covered in shallow water and plants.
Usage Notes
Use 'swamp' to describe wet, forested land. As a verb, it is very common to say you are 'swamped' when you feel overwhelmed by a large amount of something, usually work.
Common Mistakes
Learners often call any wet area a 'swamp'. Remember that for an area to be a swamp, it usually needs to have trees and standing water.
Memory Tip
Think of a 'Swan' in a 'Damp' place. Swan + Damp = Swamp.
Word Origin
Derived from the Low German word 'swamp', which originally referred to a sponge or a fungus.
Grammar Patterns
Cultural Context
In the United States, 'The Swamp' is a common political metaphor used to describe the complex and often corrupt nature of the government in Washington D.C.
Quick Quiz
The hikers got their boots very dirty while walking through the wet ____.
Correct!
The correct answer is: swamp
Related Vocabulary
More nature words
rainforest
A1A thick forest in a tropical area that receives a large amount of rain throughout the year. It is a dense habitat known for having many different types of plants and animals.
tundra
A1A large, flat area of land in very cold parts of the world, such as the Arctic. In this area, the ground is frozen and there are no trees, only small plants like moss.
wetland
A1A wetland is an area of land that is always wet or covered with shallow water. It is a very important place where many different plants and animals, like birds and frogs, live.
coral reef
A1A coral reef is a large underwater structure made from the skeletons of small sea animals called corals. They are usually found in warm, shallow parts of the ocean and provide a home for many types of fish.
vegetation
A1Vegetation refers to all the plants and trees that grow in a particular area. It is used to describe the green cover of the earth, like forests or grass.
foliage
A1Foliage refers to the leaves of a plant or tree, considered as a group. It is often used to describe the overall appearance and mass of greenery in a landscape or forest.
canopy
A1A canopy is a cover that hangs over something, like a bed or a seat, to provide shade or protection. In nature, it is the top layer of a forest where the branches and leaves of tall trees meet to form a roof.
photosynthesis
A1Photosynthesis is the natural process that green plants use to make their own food. They use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to create energy and release oxygen into the air.
pollination
A1Pollination is the process of moving pollen from one flower to another to help plants make seeds and fruit. This is usually done by insects like bees or by the wind.
seedling
A1A seedling is a very young plant that has just started to grow from a seed. It usually has a small green stem and its first few tiny leaves.
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