tributary

1 of 2

noun

trib·​u·​tary ˈtri-byə-ˌter-ē 

plural tributaries

1

: a stream feeding a larger stream or a lake

2

: a ruler or state that pays tribute to a conqueror

tributary

2 of 2

adjective

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

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.

Synonyms

Noun

• affluent
• bayou
• branch
• confluent
• feeder
• influent

Examples of tributary in a Sentence

Noun

one of the river's tributaries

This stream is a tributary of the Ohio River.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

For example, a dam located on the lower part of the mainstem of a river can block migratory fish from accessing most of the river basin, whereas a dam on a tributary could leave most of the basin accessible to migratory fish. —Jeff Opperman, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

In a 2022 resolution, Metro Council ordered Planning and Design Services staff to review development rules and develop recommendations for the area around Floyds Fork, a tributary of the Salt River. —Connor Giffin, The Courier-Journal, 25 Mar. 2024

Further downstream, the Missouri and Ohio rivers — both major tributaries of the lower Mississippi — are seeing normal to below-normal chances of spring flooding. —Journal Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2024

Adult Kokanee, typically after their third or fourth growing season, head up tributaries to spawn. —Jordan Rodriguez, Idaho Statesman, 11 Feb. 2024

But this year, droughts in the Midwest sapped the thousands of tributaries that supply the Mississippi, weakening the river and allowing a wedge of saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico to creep dozens of miles upstream. —Jacey Fortin, New York Times, 15 Nov. 2023

Likewise, in large rivers, the fish will run smaller tributaries to spawn, making creek mouths prime targets for early action. —Joe Cermele, Field & Stream, 14 Mar. 2024

This industrial wastewater flows into Compton Creek, a tributary of the Los Angeles River. —Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024

Guests can also go fly-fishing in Willow Creek, a tributary of the Colorado River. —Brittany Anas, The Denver Post, 12 Mar. 2024

Adjective

That salty, terminal lake had its tributary water diverted away by the city of Los Angeles, turning it into a dry salt flat. —Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 19 Sep. 2023

Sometimes the killers may be Chechens maybe organized by Putin’s other feral favourite, his tributary ruler of Russia’s Chechen republic, Kadyrov. —Time, 24 Aug. 2023

Lilac Solutions expects the amount of lithium it mines will get replenished from the sediments washed in by the Great Salt Lake’s tributary rivers each year, Sully said. —Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 Sep. 2023

The edges of the country roads are decorated by tributary statues and banners flashing the faces of Allied soldiers who died in the fight. —Catherine Porter, New York Times, 6 June 2023

This was a tributary version of the break-up and floe of ice that historically has happened in all the Great Lakes. —Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 27 Mar. 2023

Your porcelain vase is Chinese, the decoration is hand painted, and the marks underneath are those used during the Qianlong period of the Qing dynasty, but are tributary. —oregonlive, 5 Apr. 2023

This year, only about 1.2-million acre-feet reached the lake through its tributary rivers. —Sofia Jeremias, The Salt Lake Tribune, 30 Dec. 2022

Vietnam was a tributary state of China for 1,000 years and was invaded by China in 1979, and the two countries continue to joust for sovereignty in the South China Sea [The New York Times]. —Smriti Rao, Discover Magazine, 31 Mar. 2010

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

tributary

1 of 2 adjective

trib·​u·​tary ˈtrib-yə-ˌter-ē 

1

: paying tribute to another : subject

2

: paid or owed as tribute

3

: contributing or adding to something larger or more important

especially : flowing into a larger stream or lake

tributary

2 of 2 noun

plural tributaries

1

: a ruler or state that pays tribute to a conqueror

2

: a stream flowing into a larger stream or a lake

Medical Definition

tributary

noun

trib·​u·​tary ˈtrib-yə-ˌter-ē 

plural tributaries

: a vein that empties into a larger vein