riverbed

American  

[riv-er-bed] / ˈrɪv ərˌbɛd /

noun

• riverbeds
  plural

1. the channel in which a river flows or formerly flowed.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• riverbeds
  plural

Etymology

Origin of riverbed

First recorded in 1825–35; river ¹ + bed

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

riverbed riverbeds

She told a local coordinator she believed the 37th image -- showing the pale, swollen face of a man lying on a pebbled riverbed -- was her childhood best friend.

From Barron's ● Aug. 30, 2026

The riverbed of the River Wye in Hereford was seen bare after weeks without rainfall.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

For decades, so much water has been taken that the river seldom meets the sea in Mexico, and its delta, once filled with lush wetlands and forests, has shriveled to stretches of dry riverbed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

In a dry riverbed deep within a forest near the Amazon in Brazil, paleontologists uncovered a fossilized jawbone from a previously unknown ancient animal.

From Science Daily ● May 1, 2026

My heart thumps; my mouth is as dry as the riverbed.

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz

A series of severe heat waves and prolonged droughts have turned many European riverbeds into barren sandscapes this summer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

France has for weeks been battling wildfires after a series of deadly heatwaves that have dried up riverbeds and vegetation, extreme weather events scientists have linked to human-made climate change.

From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026

Researchers collected soil samples from sand dunes, salt flats, riverbeds, and mountainous terrain.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 2, 2026

Mining sites pop up wherever local people find deposits in this land laden with riches - on farmland, in former graveyards and along riverbeds.

From BBC ● Dec. 9, 2025

The riverbeds provide a perfect path for a tsunami to flow inland and high up mountainsides.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland