riverbed

American  

[riv-er-bed] / ˈrɪv ərˌbɛd /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of riverbed

First recorded in 1825–35; river ¹ + bed

Example Sentences

NASA's Perseverance rover has collected samples from Jezero Crater, an ancient Martian riverbed, and they may contain evidence of very early life.

From Science Daily • Jan. 6, 2026

The Eisbach wave on a side branch of the Isar River had been a landmark in the Bavarian city since the 1980s but it vanished in October after annual cleanup work along the riverbed.

From Barron's • Dec. 28, 2025

“It’s the size of a lake but it’s not deep. ... It’s more like a very, very large riverbed without the flow — a wading pool maybe.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2025

It is a reference to the volcanic ash that helped preserve its bones in an ancient riverbed.

From BBC • Jul. 7, 2025

There was only one route out of the trap they were in, and that was a narrow defile ahead, where a dry riverbed emerged from a fold in the cliffs.

From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman