river
1[ riv-er ]
/ ˈrɪv ər /
||
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.
(initial capital letter) 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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Nearby words
Idioms
- 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; desert; mislead: to sell one's friends down the river.
up the river, Slang.
Origin of river
11250–1300; Middle English < Old French rivere, riviere < Vulgar Latin *rīpāria, noun use of feminine of Latin rīpārius riparian
Related formsriv·er·less, adjectiveriv·er·like, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for up-river
British Dictionary definitions for up-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 Formsriverless, adjective
Word 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
Science definitions for up-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.
Idioms and Phrases with up-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.