dune

/djuːn/noun

A mound or ridge of sand built up by the wind or by moving water.

Example sentences

“The children raced each other up the tallest dune on the beach.”
“Tall grasses help keep the dunes from blowing away during storms.”

'Sand dune' is the everyday phrase even though dunes are usually sand already. Coastal and desert contexts both apply.

Related words

marshLow-lying ground that stays wet, typically covered with tall grasses and other soft plants.sandTiny loose grains of worn-down rock, finer than gravel, found on beaches and in deserts and used in building.wetlandAn area of land that is largely under water, with patches of marshy or soggy ground.gravelSmall loose pieces of stone, often spread on paths, roads, and railway beds.lakeA big body of water, or a similar liquid, that is enclosed by land on all sides.boulderA very big rock that sits apart from the ground around it.