riparian
[ri-pair-ee-uh n, rahy-]
- of, relating to, or situated or dwelling on the bank of a river or other body of water: riparian villas.
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- Law. a person who owns land on the bank of a natural watercourse or body of water.
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Origin of riparian
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for riparian
Contemporary Examples
The first pioneer to reach the riparian tributary where Kansas City now shimmers was, in fact, on the lam himself.
In the heart of the Olympic Park there are riparian meadows of wildflowers whose color and glory are heartbreaking.
Historical Examples
In the south it is riparian and low, much given to anglers and visitors.
Highways & Byways in SussexE.V. Lucas
Would he be wondering why I was absent from our riparian bachelor home?
The Stretton Street AffairWilliam Le Queux
How long he might have enjoyed its riparian seclusion is not known.
The tributaries of the Nile multiply the areas of riparian fertility.
The River WarWinston S. Churchill
Brush, in ravines, at woodland edge, and in riparian thickets.
Natural History of the Racer Coluber constrictorHenry S. Fitch
riparian
- 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
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- property law a person who owns land on a river bank
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Word Origin
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
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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).
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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