main stem

noun

Definition of main stem

: a main trunk or channel: such as

a : the main course of a river or stream

b : the main street of a city or town

Examples of main stem in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Last year, amid record rainfall across the Mid-Atlantic, the fish turned up in places where waters were usually thought to be too salty for their liking, including near the mouths of rivers and in the main stem of the Chesapeake itself. — Christina Tkacik, baltimoresun.com, "As blue catfish multiply in Chesapeake Bay, watermen pursue new catch — and restaurants offer new delicacy," 7 June 2019 Leave main stem intact and make sure not to cut through any of the florets. — Woman's Day Kitchen, Woman's Day, "Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Caper Vinaigrette," 30 Nov. 2018 The updated treaty was announced a few days after Washington state authorities took the highly unusual step of closing salmon fishing on a section of the main stem of the Columbia River. — Gillian Flaccus, The Seattle Times, "International 10-year salmon preservation plan advances," 18 Sep. 2018 Harvest the entire crop at the first sign of bolting by using a sharp knife to cut through the main stem just below the soil surface. — The Editors Of Organic Life, Good Housekeeping, "How To Grow The Tastiest Spinach," 15 Feb. 2018 Most architecture tours sail through the main stem of the Chicago River as well as venturing into the North and South branches. — Hailey Mensik, chicagotribune.com, "Architecture tours lead the way in bringing visitors to increasingly crowded Chicago River," 5 July 2018 Prune the top to be 2.5 times as large as the container and keep it at that size by tipping back the main stems. — Calvin Finch, San Antonio Express-News, "Container plants perfect for the San Antonio summer heat," 15 June 2018 Flood warnings are up all along the Potomac, including both the main stem (above the District) and the tidal portion (including the District). — Jason Samenow, Washington Post, "After 10 inches of rain in D.C., the Potomac is about to hit highest level in 8 years," 4 June 2018 The improved nutrients from the wetlands will help provide food for salmon in the river's main stem. — Edward Stratton, The Christian Science Monitor, "Farmers reshape land along Columbia River to bring salmon back," 2 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'main stem.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

13 Jun 2019

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The first known use of main stem was in 1671

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