river
Banks contain its flow
A river is a large natural stream of water flowing in a channel toward an ocean, lake, or another river.
Rivers drain landscapes, carve valleys, and have shaped human settlement throughout history—cities cluster along them for water, transport, and trade.
Figuratively, river describes any flowing mass: a river of lava, rivers of tears.
To sell someone down the river is to betray them.
Symbol denoting variation
- meanderTo travel without direction
- oxbowTight river curve
- confluenceMeeting point of streams
- estuaryTidal mixing zone
watershed · basin · floodplain · gorge · headwaters · source · mouth · bank
Directed flow of charge
- rapidsTurbulent river section
- torrentViolent rushing flow
- eddyCircular counter-current
- undertowSubsurface seaward current
turbulence · drift · velocity · momentum · cascade · surge · streamflow · discharge
Steady continuous flow
- brookSmall flowing watercourse
- runnelSmall flowing waterway
- waterwayNavigable route for vessels
- channelPassage for transmission
arroyo · beck · burn · rill · branch · feeder · distributary · backwater
Watercraft for travel
- canoeSlender paddled vessel
- kayakEnclosed single-person watercraft
- raftFlat water conveyance
- bargeFlat freight vessel
crossing · ford · navigable · downstream · upstream · pilot · channel · shipping
delta
Symbol denoting variation
- meanderTo travel without direction
- oxbowTight river curve
- confluenceMeeting point of streams
estuary · watershed · basin · floodplain · gorge · headwaters · source · mouth · bank · bed
current
Directed flow of charge
undertow · turbulence · drift · velocity · momentum · cascade · surge · streamflow · discharge · swirl
stream
Steady continuous flow
channel · arroyo · beck · burn · rill · branch · feeder · distributary · backwater · bayou
boat
Watercraft for travel
barge · crossing · ford · navigable · downstream · upstream · pilot · channel · shipping · portage
dam
Water-holding barrier
lock · canal · aqueduct · watermill · hydroelectric · irrigation · weir · spillway · reservoir · embankment
trout
Freshwater game fish
carp · pike · sturgeon · eel · otter · beaver · heron · kingfisher · dragonfly · frog
riverlake
Enclosed body of freshwater
still water · standing water · pond · reservoir · stagnant water
rivercanal
Dug water passage
aqueduct · channel · ditch · drainage ditch · irrigation ditch
- river channelPath carved by flow
- the riverLarge natural stream
- holy riverReligiously venerated waterway
- river tubingRecreational waterway floating
- lazy riverGentle artificial waterway
- river erosionWater wearing away earth
arrive, rivers, riverside, rivulet, riverbank, riverbed, riverboat, rivered, riverfront