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arroyo

[ uh-roi-oh ]
/ əˈrɔɪ oʊ /
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noun, plural ar·roy·os.
(chiefly in southwest U.S.) a small steep-sided watercourse or gulch with a nearly flat floor: usually dry except after heavy rains.
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Origin of arroyo

1800–10, Americanism;<Spanish; akin to Latin arrūgia mine shaft
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use arroyo in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for arroyo (1 of 2)

arroyo
/ (əˈrɔɪəʊ) /

noun plural -os mainly Southwestern US
a steep-sided stream bed that is usually dry except after heavy rain

Word Origin for arroyo

C19: from Spanish

British Dictionary definitions for arroyo (2 of 2)

Arroyo
/ (əˈrɔɪjəʊ) /

noun
Gloria Macapagal. born 1947, Filipino stateswoman; vice-president of the Philippines (1998–2001); president (2001–10)
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 arroyo

arroyo
[ ə-roiō ]

A small, deep gully or channel of an ephemeral stream. Arroyos usually have relatively flat floors and are flanked by steep sides consisting of unconsolidated sediments. They are usually dry except after heavy rainfall.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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