river
RIH-vuh
River (noun) means a large natural stream of water flowing across land, usually into the sea, a lake, or another river. Example: “A wide river runs through the centre of the old town.”
noun
1
A large natural stream of water flowing across land, usually into the sea, a lake, or another river.
"A wide river runs through the centre of the old town."
"The river burst its banks after days of heavy rain."
"They canoed down the river for three days."
2
In poker, the fifth and final community card dealt.
"She was bluffing until the river card changed everything."
"Nobody at the table expected the river to be an ace."
"He hit a flush on the river to win the pot."
How to use river
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA large flowing body of water; in poker slang, the last card dealt.
Memory tip
Note that "river" and "rival" look similar but come from different Latin roots — river from "riverbank," rival from "stream."
Trace the full origin ↓
Common pairings
river bank
down the river
river delta
sell someone down the river
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Word forms
- Plural
- rivers
- Third person singular
- rivers
- Past tense
- rivered
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A wide _____ runs through the centre of the old town.
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman rivere, ultimately from Latin riparius ("of a riverbank"), from ripa ("bank"). It is unrelated to Latin rivus ("stream"), despite the resemblance — that root instead gives us "rival."
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for river
See all rhymes for river →Frequently asked questions
What does “river” mean?
The word “river” means a large natural stream of water flowing across land, usually into the sea, a lake, or another river. In plain terms, a large flowing body of water; in poker slang, the last card dealt.
How do you pronounce “river”?
“River” is pronounced RIH-vuh (/ˈɹɪvɚ/ in IPA).
How do you use “river” in a sentence?
Here is “river” used in a sentence: “The river burst its banks after days of heavy rain.”
What is another word for “river”?
Words with a similar meaning to “river” include large, small, brooklet, burnlet, ree and rill.
What part of speech is “river”?
“River” is a noun.
Where does the word “river” come from?
The word “river” comes from Latin. From Anglo-Norman rivere, ultimately from Latin riparius ("of a riverbank"), from ripa ("bank"). It is unrelated to Latin rivus ("stream"), despite the resemblance — that root instead gives us "rival.".
Is “river” a common word?
“River” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “river” have?
“River” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a large natural stream of water flowing across land, usually into the sea, a lake, or another river.
What is the difference between a river and a stream?
The main difference is size. A river is a large, flowing body of water, while a stream is smaller and narrower. Streams often feed into rivers as tributaries. There is no strict cut-off, so the labels can overlap, but 'river' always suggests the bigger, more powerful watercourse of the two.
What are the main parts of a river?
A river begins at its source, often in hills or mountains, and ends at its mouth, where it meets the sea or a lake. Along the way it has banks on either side, a bed beneath, tributaries that join it, and sometimes a wide delta where it spreads out at the end.
What is the difference between a river and a canal?
A river is a natural watercourse formed by rainfall and land over time. A canal is an artificial channel dug by people, usually for transport, irrigation, or drainage. Rivers follow the shape of the land and flow on their own, while canals are engineered to run where they are needed.
Where does a river start and end?
A river starts at its source, the point where its water first collects, commonly a spring, melting snow, or upland streams. It ends at its mouth, flowing into a larger body such as the sea, a lake, or another river. Gravity carries the water downhill along the whole route.
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