river
NounOpen English WordNet
Noun (1)rivers
- a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)“the river was navigable for 50 miles”Type of stream, watercourseExamples Red River of the South, Mississippi, Hudson, Mekong, Delaware, Missouri, Sabine, Orinoco, Rappahannock, Saint Johns +186 morePart of water systemParts waterfall, estuary, rapid
What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz
Webster's Dictionary (1913)
One who rives or splits.
Origin: F. rivère a river, LL. riparia river, bank of a river, fr. L. riparius belonging to a bank or shore, fr. ripa a bank or shore; of uncertain origin. Cf. Arrive, Riparian.
1. A large stream of water flowing in a bed or channel and emptying into the ocean, a sea, a lake, or another stream; a stream larger than a rivulet or brook.
Transparent and sparkling rivers, from which it is delightful to drink as they flow.— Thomas Babington Macaulay
2. Fig.: A large stream; copious flow; abundance; as, rivers of blood; rivers of oil.
River chub Zoology, the hornyhead and allied species of fresh-water fishes. — River crab Zoology, any species of fresh-water crabs of the genus Thelphusa, as Thelphusa depressa of Southern Europe. — River dragon, a crocodile; — applied by Milton to the king of Egypt. — River driver, a lumberman who drives or conducts logs down rivers. John Russell. Bartlett — River duck Zoology, any species of duck belonging to Anas, Spatula, and allied genera, in which the hind toe is destitute of a membranous lobe, as in the mallard and pintail; — opposed to sea duck. — River god, a deity supposed to preside over a river as its tutelary divinity. — River herring Zoology, an alewife. — River hog. Zoology (a) Any species of African wild hogs of the genus Potamochœrus. They frequent wet places along the rivers. (b) The capybara. — River horse Zoology, the hippopotamus. — River jack Zoology, an African puff adder (Clotho nasicornis) having a spine on the nose. — River limpet Zoology, a fresh-water, air-breathing mollusk of the genus Ancylus, having a limpet-shaped shell. — River pirate Zoology, the pike. — River snail Zoology, any species of fresh-water gastropods of Paludina, Melontho, and allied genera. See Pond snail, under Pond. — River tortoise Zoology, any one of numerous fresh-water tortoises inhabiting rivers, especially those of the genus Trionyx and allied genera. See Trionyx.
To hawk by the side of a river; to fly hawks at river fowl. obsolete James Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54