river

noun, often attributive riv·er \ ˈri-vər \

Definition of river

1 a :a natural stream of water of usually considerable volume

b :watercourse

2 a :something resembling a river

a river of lava

b rivers plural :large or overwhelming quantities

drank rivers of coffee

— up the river

:to or in prison

was sent up the river

See river defined for English-language learners

See river defined for kids

Examples of river in a Sentence

The raft is too small to use on this part of the river.
Rivers of mud flowed down the hillside.

Recent Examples of river from the Web

The compound has turned up far from Palo Verde, in blood and yolk from a croc population more than 100 kilometers away in the Tárcoles River, part of a different river system.

— mitch leslie, Science | AAAS, "Something is changing the sex of Costa Rican crocodiles," 30 Aug. 2017
As tropical storm Harvey continues to drench Houston, turning streets into muddy rivers, NASA workers are keeping watch over a giant $8.6 billion space telescope at the edge of the city.

— marina koren, The Atlantic, "NASA's New Telescope Is in Harvey's Path," 29 Aug. 2017
Rivers and bayous remained near and above record levels, and Houston’s two major reservoirs, Addicks and Barker, west of the city are overflowing for the first time ever.

— greg porter, Washington Post, "Southeast Texas not done with Harvey’s disastrous rains, and torrents spread to New Orleans," 29 Aug. 2017
The incessant rain covered much of Houston in turbid, gray-green water and turned streets into rivers navigable only by boat.

— michael graczyk, chicagotribune.com, "Rescuers pluck hundreds from rising floodwaters in Houston," 28 Aug. 2017
My quiet Mildred Street is now a raging river, and the emergency medical workers are using kayaks to transport people to their truck.

— clifford krauss, star-telegram, "A reporter’s tale in Houston: When a story becomes your own disaster," 27 Aug. 2017
The informant recorded the guards discussing their plot, which included taking the inmate down by a river, and leaked it to the FBI.

— veronica hilbring, Essence.com, "KKK Members Working As Prison Guards Convicted In Plot To Murder Black Inmate," 17 Aug. 2017
A Potomac river crossing named for Confederate Captain Elijah V. White.

— adam k. raymond, Daily Intelligencer, "A Running List of Confederate Monuments Removed Across the Country," 17 Aug. 2017
The story was similar across the river at L.A. State Historic Park, which had its reopening delayed for years due to toxins from another rail yard.

— zoie matthew, Los Angeles Magazine, "This Is Why The Revitalization of the LA River Is Taking So Long," 16 Aug. 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of river

Middle English rivere, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *riparia, from Latin, feminine of riparius riparian, from ripa bank, shore; perhaps akin to Greek ereipein to tear down

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First Known Use: 14th century

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Other Geology Terms

anthracite, boulder, cwm, erratic, igneous, intrusive, mesa, sedimentary, silt, swale

RIVER Defined for English Language Learners

river

noun

Definition of river for English Language Learners

: a large natural flow of water that crosses an area of land and goes into an ocean, a lake, etc.
: a large flow of something

RIVER Defined for Kids

river

noun riv·er \ ˈri-vər \

Definition of river for Students

1 :a natural stream of water larger than a brook or creek

2 :a large stream or flow

a river of mud

Learn More about river

See words that rhyme with river Spanish Central: Translation of river Nglish: Translation of river for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of river for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about river

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river

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