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floodplain

American  
[fluhd-playn] / ˈflʌdˌpleɪn /

noun

floodplains plural
  1. a nearly flat area of land alongside a stream or river that is naturally subject to flooding.


floodplain Scientific  
/ flŭdplān′ /
  1. Flat land bordering a river and made up of alluvium (sand, silt, and clay) deposited during floods. When a river overflows, the floodplain is covered with water.


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noun

Vocabulary lists containing floodplain

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It would be the first state park in Yuba County, complete with a boat launch and riverside beach, as well as a floodplain designed to take on water in high-flow years.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

Parts of Mandalay and its buildings also lie along the floodplain of the Ayerwaddy River.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2025

These tyrannosaurs would have been around a third of the size of their famous cousin Tyrannosaurus rex, and likely hunted small dinosaurs and other reptiles in their floodplain habitat.

From Science Daily • Dec. 5, 2024

Much of the infrastructure required to draw, treat, and distribute water often sits alongside reservoirs, placing them squarely in a floodplain when the torrent arrives and increasing the likelihood of damage.

From Salon • Nov. 25, 2024

Moistening the clay was easy—capillary action will draw up water from the floodplain, which has a high water table.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

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