river

noun

riv·​er ˈri-vər How to pronounce river (audio)
often attributive
1
a
: a natural stream of water of usually considerable volume
2
a
: something resembling a river
a river of lava
b
rivers plural : large or overwhelming quantities
drank rivers of coffee
Phrases
up the river
: to or in prison
was sent up the river

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 on the Web North Carolina State Climate Office All of that rain caused rivers to flood, landslides and mudslides, leading to rescues across several counties. Li Cohen, CBS News, 1 Oct. 2024 Throughout the day, the team repeated this process, navigating the labyrinth of tidal creeks and river bends, encountering more young green sawfish along the way. Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024 Most of those are on the Ohio side of the river, with less than 200 outages in Northern Kentucky. Erin Couch, The Enquirer, 29 Sep. 2024 The storm flattened houses and sent rivers surging to record levels. Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 29 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for river 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'river.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of river was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near river

Cite this Entry

“River.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/river. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

river

noun
riv·​er ˈriv-ər How to pronounce river (audio)
1
: a natural stream of water larger than a brook or creek
2
: a large stream or flow
the jet stream is a river of air
Etymology

Middle English rivere "river," from early French rivere (same meaning), derived from Latin riparius "related to or located on the bank of a river," from ripa "shore"

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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