Definition of tributary
tributaries
1 : a stream feeding a larger stream or a lake
2 : a ruler or state that pays tribute to a conqueror
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Recent Examples of tributary from the Web
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From 1,000 feet above Agnew Lake, elevation 8,500 feet above sea level, 12 massive water pumps were clearly visible, sending torrents of snowmelt over the spillway and into Rush Creek, one of Mono Lake’s major tributaries.
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Now, quite suddenly, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, a whole new tributary of thought swells that countercultural river.
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Standing on the bank of the tiny tributary of the Brule River, Pratt slowly extended a 20-foot-long pole into the water.
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In pairs of two, a team of eight elite firefighters from Idaho and Montana parachute down to the dry Rio Puerco tributary of the Rio Grande.
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The existing regulation covers wetlands adjacent to either traditional navigable waters or interstate waters, as well as streams serving as tributaries to navigable waters.
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To cut down on the algae, Ohio and its neighboring states are focusing on encouraging farmers to take voluntary steps that prevent manure and fertilizers from flowing into the lake’s tributaries and reducing overflows from sewage treatment plants.
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To cut down on the algae, Ohio and its neighboring states are focusing on encouraging farmers to take voluntary steps that prevent manure and fertilizers from flowing into the lake's tributaries and reducing overflows from sewage treatment plants.
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Shopping Cart icon Buy Photo South Jersey residents are being advised to not swim or fish in the Big Timber Creek and its tributaries after a power outage caused sewage to spill into the waterway separating Camden and Gloucester Counties.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tributary.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
A tributary was originally a person or state that owed tribute to a more powerful person or state. Ancient China, for instance, had dozens of tributary states, and the emperor would receive elephants from Siam or young girls from Korea as tribute. Just as a smaller power gave some of its wealth to a larger power, a small river contributes its waters to a larger one. A tributary can be a tiny stream, but some are immense rivers. The Missouri River, for example, could be called a tributary to the Mississippi, even though it's about 2,500 miles long and receives hundreds of tributaries itself.
First Known Use of tributary
14th century
tributary
Definition of tributary
1 : paying tribute to another to acknowledge submission, to obtain protection, or to purchase peace : subject
2 : paid or owed as tribute tributary gifts
3 : channeling material or supplies into something more inclusive : contributory
Examples of tributary in a Sentence
one of the river's tributaries
This stream is a tributary of the Ohio River.
Recent Examples of tributary from the Web
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Hope from Mill Creek The long-term goal of a cleaner Lake Erie and tributary system can find inspiration in the benefits already being seen from the Mill Creek Tunnel, finished in 2012 just prior to the launch of Project Clean Lake.
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River flows, tributary flows, and reservoir releases are all increasing daily as snow melt really gets rolling, and the river has finally begun to dirty up.
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In addition, Border Patrol agents on the ground said increasingly urbanized canyons and tributary areas in Tijuana — located west of the river along the international border — have become a major source of sewage and contaminated runoff.
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The aversion appears to be mutual, with Kim sharing his grandfather’s suspicion of the giant neighbor that long relegated Korea to tributary-state status.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tributary.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of tributary
14th century
Other Geology Terms
anthracite, boulder, cwm, erratic, igneous, intrusive, mesa, sedimentary, silt, swale
TRIBUTARY Defined for English Language Learners
tributary
Definition of tributary for English Language Learners
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: a stream that flows into a larger stream or river or into a lake
TRIBUTARY Defined for Kids
tributary
playDefinition of tributary for Students
tributaries
: a stream flowing into a larger stream or a lake The river has several tributaries.
Medical Dictionary
tributary
playMedical Definition of tributary
tributaries
: a vein that empties into a larger vein
Learn More about tributary
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See words that rhyme with tributary Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for tributary Spanish Central: Translation of tributary Nglish: Translation of tributary for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tributary
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