barachois n also barrachois, barrisois. DC ~ (N B: 1760-); HARRAP ~ 'sand-bar.' For occurrence in place-names, see SEARY 48, 173-4; even in places officially named Barachois, the local pronunciation may be BARASWAY. A shallow river estuary, lagoon or harbour, of fresh or salt water, sheltered from the sea by a sand-bar or low strip of land; POND 2; cp COSH.
   [1778 DE CASSINI 139 The fishing vessels [at St Pierre] are very safe in a pretty large Barachois, which answers the purpose of a harbour. What they call here Barachois, is a little pond near the sea, and only separated from it by a bank of pebbles.] 1842 BONNYCASTLE i, 219 Eight miles up the great Barrisois, (a corruption of Barachois, a boat-river, in the French Newfoundland dialect) near St George's Bay... [1873] 1971 SEARY 173 Big Barachois. 1885 KENNEDY 154 A fine salmon-river winds through the valley [near Branch] irrigating a considerable extent of land, and forcing its way by a narrow 'barachois' (a narrow gorge) to the sea. 1966 HORWOOD 120 At the end of the harborless Reach where a tiny sandspit formed a pocket-sized barachois... 1971 NOSEWORTHY 172 Barrisway (spelled 'barachois'—a large brackish-water pond opening into the sea.

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