Scientists have not agreed on a single commonly used definition of wetland in the past because they have had no scientific motivation to do so. Now, however, they are being asked to help interpret regulatory definitions of wetlands.
https://www.nap.edu/read/4766/chapter/5
Often, wetlands. land that has a wet and spongy soil, as a marsh, swamp, or bog. Other, greener options, like wetland restoration or oyster reefs, could also help slow waves before they reach the city.
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/wetland
The first official use of the term wetland in a government report was in 1956, when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) issued Circular 39, a landmark report about the wetlands of the United States (Shaw and Fredine, 1956).
https://www.nap.edu/read/4766/chapter/5
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) used the following regulatory definition of wetlands for developing a field method for determining the jurisdictional boundaries for regulatory purposes. The Corps definition utilizes the three-parameter test for permitting and planning purposes.
http://resources.ca.gov/wetlands/introduction/defining_wetlands.html
Generally, wetlands are lands where saturation with water is the dominant factor determining the nature of soil development and the types of plant and animal communities living in the soil and on its surface. Wetlands Definition in Law.
http://resources.ca.gov/wetlands/introduction/defining_wetlands.html
Only in the 1950s were scientists beginning to use the term wetland as a category that would encompass terms such as bog, swamp, and marsh. Attempts of government agencies to define wetlands began at that time but developed momentum only in the 1970s.
https://www.nap.edu/read/4766/chapter/5
Wetland delineation establishes the existence (location) and physical limits (size) of a wetland for the purposes of federal, state, and local regulations. For more information on this, see the Corps' of Engineers (Corps) Regulatory Guidance Letter 08-02, Jurisdictional Determinations.
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/wetlands/delineation.html
Definition of wetland. : land or areas (as marshes or swamps) that are covered often intermittently with shallow water or have soil saturated with moisture —usually used in plural.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wetland
Definition of wetland for English Language Learners. : an area of land (such as a marsh or swamp) that is covered with shallow water. See words that rhyme with wetland Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for wetland Nglish: Translation of wetland for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of wetland for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wetland.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wetland
(wět'lānd') A low-lying area of land that is saturated with moisture, especially when regarded as the natural habitat of wildlife. Marshes, swamps, and bogs are examples of wetlands. See more at lacustrine, marine, palustrine, riverine.
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/wetland
definition of a wetland
Wetlands are lands where saturation with water is the dominant factor determining the nature of soil development and the types of plant and animal communities living in the soil and on its surface.