ford

¹ American  

[fawrd, fohrd] / fɔrd, foʊrd /

noun

1. a place where a river or other body of water is shallow enough to be crossed by wading.

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verb (used with object)

1. to cross (a river, stream, etc.) at a ford.

Ford ² American  

[fawrd, fohrd] / fɔrd, foʊrd /

noun

1. Elizabeth Bloomer Betty, 1918–2011, U.S. First Lady 1974–77 (wife of Gerald R. Ford).

2. Ford Madox Ford Madox Hueffer, 1873–1939, English novelist, poet, critic, and editor.

3. Gerald R(udolph, Jr.) Leslie Lynch King, Jr., 1913–2006, U.S. political leader: congressman 1948–73; vice president 1973–74; 38th president of the U.S. 1974–77.

4. Guy Stanton, 1873–1963, U.S. historian, educator, and editor.

5. Henry, 1863–1947, U.S. automobile manufacturer.

6. John, 1586?–c1640, English playwright.

7. John Sean O'Feeney, 1895–1973, U.S. film director.

8. a male given name.

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Ford ¹ British  

/ fɔːd /

noun

1. Ford Maddox (ˈmædəks) original name Ford Madox Hueffer . 1873–1939, English novelist, editor, and critic; works include The Good Soldier (1915) and the war tetralogy Parade's End (1924–28).

2. Gerald R ( udolph ). 1913–2006, US politician; 38th president of the US (1974–77)

3. Harrison . born 1942, US film actor. His films include Star Wars (1977) and its sequels, Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and its sequels, Bladerunner (1982), Clear and Present Danger (1994), and What Lies Beneath (2000)

4. Henry . 1863–1947, US car manufacturer, who pioneered mass production

5. John . 1586–?1639, English dramatist; author of revenge tragedies such as 'Tis Pity She's a Whore (1633)

6. John , real name Sean O'Feeney . 1895–1973, US film director, esp of Westerns such as Stagecoach (1939) and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949)

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ford ² British  

/ fɔːd /

noun

1. a shallow area in a river that can be crossed by car, horseback, etc

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verb

1. (tr) to cross (a river, brook, etc) over a shallow area

Other Word Forms

• fordable adjective
• unfordable adjective
• unforded adjective

Etymology

Origin of ford

before 900; Middle English (noun), Old English; cognate with Old Frisian forda, German Furt; akin to Old Norse fjǫrthr, fare, port ¹

Example Sentences

It is thought the former wing's vehicle was swept away while he tried to drive across a ford during Storm Darragh.

From BBC • Sep. 22, 2025

Search teams gathered from first light and are scouring the banks of the river from the ford between Bolton and Abberwick, all the way to the sea at Alnmouth.

From BBC • Dec. 11, 2024

A water level indicator at the ford showed the river was still around one foot deep, but it would have been much higher at the weekend when Storm Darragh lashed the UK.

From BBC • Dec. 11, 2024

Part of Rufford Lane - where the ford was located - was then closed to vehicles on 2 December 2022.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2024

One day our great-uncle Ser Harbert told me to try a different ford.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

Related Words

• cruise
• cut across
• navigate
• pass over
• ply
• sail
• span
• traverse