1.
water's edge, waterfront, shoreline
The point where water meets land — the edge of a lake, river, or sea.
水際で遊ぶ。
Play at the water's edge.
水際に鳥がたくさん集まっていた。
Many birds had gathered at the water's edge.
湖の水際に小さな花が咲いていた。
Small flowers were blooming at the edge of the lake.
2.
border, point of entry (for control measures)
Figuratively, the point at which something is stopped before it enters or spreads further. Used especially for border control, infection prevention, and crisis management.
水際対策を強化する。
Strengthen border control measures.
空港での水際対策が重要だ。
Border control measures at airports are important.
感染症の水際での食い止めが求められている。
There are calls to stop infectious diseases at the border.
WORD FORMATION:
水 (water) + 際 (edge, boundary)
SENSE 2 (border control):
Became widely used during pandemic discussions. 水際対策 refers to measures taken at national borders (airports, ports) to prevent unwanted things from entering the country — diseases, illegal goods, pests, etc. The metaphor is of stopping something at the water's edge before it reaches land.
KEY COMPOUND:
- 水際対策: border/entry-point countermeasures
- 水際で阻止する: to stop at the border
- 水際で食い止める: to halt at the point of entry