river

1
[ riv-er ]
See synonyms for: riverrivers on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a natural stream of water of fairly large size flowing in a definite course or channel or series of diverging and converging channels.

  2. a similar stream of something other than water: a river of lava;a river of ice.

  1. any abundant stream or copious flow; outpouring: rivers of tears;rivers of words.

  2. River, Astronomy. the constellation Eridanus.

  3. Printing. a vertical channel of white space resulting from the alignment in several lines of spaces between words.

Idioms about river

  1. sell down the river, to betray; deceive; double-cross: to sell one's friends down the river.

  2. up the river, Slang.

    • to prison: to be sent up the river for a bank robbery.

    • in prison: Thirty years up the river had made him a stranger to society.

Origin of river

1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English river(e), rever(e), from Old French rivere, riviere, from unattested Vulgar Latin rīpāria, noun use of feminine of Latin rīpārius riparian

Other words from river

  • riv·er·less, adjective
  • riv·er·like, adjective

Words that may be confused with river

Words Nearby river

Other definitions for river (2 of 2)

river2
[ rahy-ver ]

noun
  1. a person who rives.

Origin of river

2
First recorded in 1450–1500; rive + -er1

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use river in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for river

river

/ (ˈrɪvə) /


noun
    • a large natural stream of fresh water flowing along a definite course, usually into the sea, being fed by tributary streams

    • (as modifier): river traffic; a river basin

    • (in combination): riverside; riverbed Related adjectives: fluvial, potamic

  1. any abundant stream or flow: a river of blood

  1. sell down the river informal to deceive or betray

  2. the river poker slang the fifth and final community card to be dealt in a round of Texas hold 'em

Origin of river

1
C13: from Old French riviere, from Latin rīpārius of a river bank, from rīpa bank

Derived forms of river

  • riverless, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for river

river

[ rĭvər ]


  1. A wide, natural stream of fresh water that flows into an ocean or other large body of water and is usually fed by smaller streams, called tributaries, that enter it along its course. A river and its tributaries form a drainage basin, or watershed, that collects the runoff throughout the region and channels it along with erosional sediments toward the river. The sediments are typically deposited most heavily along the river's lower course, forming floodplains along its banks and a delta at its mouth.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Other Idioms and Phrases with river

river

see sell down the river; up the river.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.