river basin

American  

noun

Physical Geography.

1. the area of land drained by a river and its branches.

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river basin Scientific  

1. The land area that is drained by a river and its tributaries. The Mississippi River basin, for example, is a vast area that covers much of the central United States from the central ranges of the Appalachian Mountains in the east to the eastern ranges of the Rocky Mountains in the west, funneling toward its delta in southern Louisiana and emptying into the Gulf of Mexico.

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Etymology

Origin of river basin

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

Samples were collected near the Santa Maria da Serra dam, close to the Barra Bonita reservoir, where contaminants from across the river basin tend to gather.

From Science Daily

"As we modify natural systems, we can expect changes in how sediment is stored in river basins and along coastlines and continental shelves," Professor Kirkland said.

From Science Daily

Their analysis pinpointed 16 extensive river basins that would have offered the most promising settings for life on the red planet.

From Science Daily

"It's also possible that our major river basins will overflow."

From Barron's

That includes the upper Indus river basin, which serves parts of China, India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

From BBC