Final answer:
When water is pushed out of the way, it is termed as 'overwash', which occurs when waves rush over coastal barriers, and is associated with the energy of the wave, not the lateral movement of water itself.
Step-by-step explanation:
When water is pushed out of the way, it is said to be experiencing overwash. This phenomenon is caused by waves that rush over a natural or artificial coastal barrier, often resulting from storm events. Despite a common misconception, water particles in waves generally remain in a fixed location, moving primarily up and down due to the energy in the wave rather than horizontally. As such, when you feel yourself being pushed by ocean waves, what you are actually experiencing is the wave's energy moving through the water, not a flow of water itself.
Understanding this concept involves considering external, macroscopic variables such as pressure and volume, as well as the dynamics of causing matter to move against an opposing force like gravity or friction. An example of this can be seen in accordance with Torricelli's theorem, which describes the speed of a fluid flowing out of an opening under the influence of gravity.