riparian

[ ri-pair-ee-uhn, rahy- ]

adjective
  1. of, relating to, or situated or dwelling on the bank of a river or other body of water: riparian villas.

noun
  1. Law. a person who owns land on the bank of a natural watercourse or body of water.

Origin of riparian

1
1840–50; <Latin rīpāri(us) that frequents riverbanks (rīp(a) bank of a river1 + -ārius-ary) + -an

Other words from riparian

  • non·ri·par·i·an, adjective, noun

Words Nearby riparian

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use riparian in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for riparian

riparian

/ (raɪˈpɛərɪən) /


adjective
  1. of, inhabiting, or situated on the bank of a river

  2. denoting or relating to the legal rights of the owner of land on a river bank, such as fishing or irrigation

noun
  1. property law a person who owns land on a river bank

Origin of riparian

1
C19: from Latin rīpārius, from rīpa a river bank

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for riparian

riparian

[ rĭ-pârē-ən ]


  1. Relating to or inhabiting the banks of a natural course of water. Riparian zones are ecologically diverse and contribute to the health of other aquatic ecosystems by filtering out pollutants and preventing erosion. Salmon in the Pacific Northwest feed off riparian insects; trees such as the black walnut, the American sycamore, and the cottonwood thrive in riparian environments.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.