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river
1[ riv-er ]
/ ˈrɪv ər /
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noun
a natural stream of water of fairly large size flowing in a definite course or channel or series of diverging and converging channels.
a similar stream of something other than water: a river of lava;a river of ice.
any abundant stream or copious flow; outpouring: rivers of tears;rivers of words.
River, Astronomy. the constellation Eridanus.
Printing. a vertical channel of white space resulting from the alignment in several lines of spaces between words.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Idioms about river
- to prison: to be sent up the river for a bank robbery.
- in prison: Thirty years up the river had made him a stranger to society.
sell down the river, to betray; deceive; double-cross: to sell one's friends down the river.
up the river, Slang.
Origin of river
1First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English river(e), rever(e), from Old French rivere, riviere, from unattested Vulgar Latin rīpāria, noun use of feminine of Latin rīpārius riparian
OTHER WORDS FROM river
riv·er·less, adjectiveriv·er·like, adjectiveWords nearby river
rivalrous, rivalry, rive, rivel, riven, river, Rivera, Rivera, Diego, Rivera Fracture Zone, Rivera Plate, riverbank
Other definitions for river (2 of 2)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use river in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for river
river
/ (ˈrɪvə) /
noun
- a large natural stream of fresh water flowing along a definite course, usually into the sea, being fed by tributary streams
- (as modifier)river traffic; a river basin
- (in combination)riverside; riverbed Related adjectives: fluvial, potamic
any abundant stream or flowa river of blood
sell down the river informal to deceive or betray
the river poker slang the fifth and final community card to be dealt in a round of Texas hold 'em
Derived forms of river
riverless, adjectiveWord Origin for river
C13: from Old French riviere, from Latin rīpārius of a river bank, from rīpa 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
Scientific definitions for river
river
[ rĭv′ər ]
A wide, natural stream of fresh water that flows into an ocean or other large body of water and is usually fed by smaller streams, called tributaries, that enter it along its course. A river and its tributaries form a drainage basin, or watershed, that collects the runoff throughout the region and channels it along with erosional sediments toward the river. The sediments are typically deposited most heavily along the river's lower course, forming floodplains along its banks and a delta at its mouth.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with river
river
see sell down the river; up the river.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.