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tributary
[ trib-yuh-ter-ee ]
/ ˈtrɪb yəˌtɛr i /
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noun, plural trib·u·tar·ies.
a stream that flows to a larger stream or other body of water.
a person or nation that pays tribute in acknowledgment of subjugation or the like.
adjective
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Origin of tributary
OTHER WORDS FROM tributary
trib·u·tar·i·ly, adverbnon·trib·u·tar·y, adjectiveun·trib·u·tar·i·ly, adverbun·trib·u·tar·y, adjectiveWords nearby tributary
tribulation, tribunal, tribunate, tribune, Tribune Group, tributary, tribute, tribute band, tricalcium silicate, tricameral, tricarboxylic
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use tributary in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for tributary
tributary
/ (ˈtrɪbjʊtərɪ, -trɪ) /
noun plural -taries
a stream, river, or glacier that feeds another larger one
a person, nation, or people that pays tribute
adjective
(of a stream, etc) feeding a larger stream
given or owed as a tribute
paying tribute
Derived forms of tributary
tributarily, adverbCollins 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 tributary
tributary
[ trĭb′yə-tĕr′ē ]
A stream that flows into a river, a larger stream, or a lake.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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