BREAKWATER, noun [break and water.] The hull of an old vessel sunk at the entrance of a harbor, to break or diminish the force of the waves, to secure the vessels in harbor. 1. A small buoy fastened to a large one, when the rope of the latter is not long enough to reach the surface of the water. 2. A mole, at the mouth of a harbor, intended to break the force of the waves.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI