river

A large and often winding stream which drains a land mass, carrying water down from higher areas to a lower point, oftentimes ending in another body of water, such as an ocean or in an inland sea.

Noun

  1. A large and often winding stream which drains a land mass, carrying water down from higher areas to a lower point, oftentimes ending in another body of water, such as an ocean or in an inland sea.
    • Occasionally rivers overflow their banks and cause floods.
    • By the side of the river he trotted as one trots, when very small, by the side of a man who holds one spell-bound by exciting stories; and when tired at last, he sat on the bank, while the river still chattered on to...
    • Floods in northern India, mostly in the small state of Uttarakhand, have wrought disaster on an enormous scale. The early, intense onset of the monsoon on June 14th swelled rivers, washing away roads, bridges, hotels...
  2. Any large flow of a liquid in a single body.
    • a river of blood
  3. The last card dealt in a hand.
    • He called instantly but was too ashamed to show until the river. - 2017, Nathan Schwiethale, Ace High: Mastering Low Stakes Poker Cash Games, page 70:
  4. A visually undesirable effect of white space running down a page, caused by spaces between words on consecutive lines happening to coincide.

Origin

From Middle English ryver, from Anglo-Norman rivere, from Early Medieval Latin rīpāria (“littoral, riverbank”), from Latin rīpārius (“of a riverbank”), from Latin rīpa (“river bank”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁reyp- (“to scratch, tear, cut”). Unrelated to Latin rīvus (“stream”) (whence rival, derive). Doublet of riviera and rivière. Displaced native Old English ēa.

Forms

rivers

Synonyms

large river small brooklet burnlet ree rill rith rithe rivulet runlet streamlet unsorted arroyo bayou beck bogan bogue bourn branch anabranch brook burn coulee

Hypernyms

watercourse body of water landform

Hyponyms

affluent

Related

fluvial tributary water freshwater alluvium sediment riverbend riverbank riverbed riverfront valley canyon glen gorge strath drainage basin confluence channel floodplain riverplain billabong oxbow lake fish amphibian

Derived

Abba River Adelaide River Agidel River Alice River Amazon river dolphin American River Amur River Angelo River Apple River Archer River Arm River Arthur River atmospheric river Augusta-Margaret River Bass River Battle River Bear River Beaufort River Belmore River Bemm River Black River Blue River braided river Brodribb River

Noun Entry 2

  1. One who rives or splits.

Origin

Etymology tree English rive English -er English river From rive + -er.

Forms

rivers

Synonyms

large river small brooklet burnlet ree rill rith rithe rivulet runlet streamlet unsorted arroyo bayou beck bogan bogue bourn branch anabranch brook burn coulee

Hypernyms

watercourse body of water landform

Hyponyms

affluent

Related

water freshwater alluvium sediment riverbend riverbank riverbed riverfront valley canyon glen gorge strath drainage basin confluence channel floodplain riverplain billabong oxbow lake fish amphibian muskrat river dolphin

Verb

  1. To improve one’s hand to beat another player on the final card in a poker game.
    • Johnny rivered me by drawing that ace of spades.

Forms

rivers rivering rivered