riparian

[ri-pair-ee-uh n, rahy-]

adjective

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

noun

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

Origin of riparian

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

Related formsnon·ri·par·i·an, adjective, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for riparian

Contemporary Examples of riparian

The first pioneer to reach the riparian tributary where Kansas City now shimmers was, in fact, on the lam himself.
Those Kansas City Blues: A Family History
Katie Baker
October 24, 2014
In the heart of the Olympic Park there are riparian meadows of wildflowers whose color and glory are heartbreaking.
20 Reasons to Feel Good About the 2012 Olympics in London
The Telegraph
July 30, 2012

Historical Examples of riparian

In the south it is riparian and low, much given to anglers and visitors.
Highways & Byways in Sussex
E.V. Lucas
Would he be wondering why I was absent from our riparian bachelor home?
The Stretton Street Affair
William Le Queux
How long he might have enjoyed its riparian seclusion is not known.
The Bell-Ringer of Angel's and Other Stories
Bret Harte
The tributaries of the Nile multiply the areas of riparian fertility.
The River War
Winston S. Churchill
Brush, in ravines, at woodland edge, and in riparian thickets.
Natural History of the Racer Coluber constrictor
Henry S. Fitch

British Dictionary definitions for riparian

riparian

adjective

of, inhabiting, or situated on the bank of a river

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

noun

property law a person who owns land on a river bank

Word Origin for riparian

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

Word Origin and History for riparian

adj.

"of or pertaining to river banks," 1849, with -an + Latin riparius "of a river bank," from riparia "shore," later used in reference to the stream flowing between the banks, from ripa "(steep) bank of a river, shore," probably literally "break" (and indicating the drop off from ground level to the stream bed), or else "that which is cut out by the river," from PIE root *rei- "to scratch, tear, cut" (cf. Greek ereipia "ruins," eripne "slope, precipice;" Old Norse rifa "break, to tear apart;" Danish rift "breach," Middle High German rif "riverbank, seashore;" English riven, rift).

Science definitions for riparian

riparian

[rĭ-pâr′ē-ən]

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.