rivernoun [ C ]
uk/ˈrɪv.ər/us/ˈrɪv.ɚ/A1 a natural wide flow of fresh water across the land into the sea, a lake, or another river:
We sailed slowly down the river.
A1 written abbreviation R used before or after the name of a river:
the River Thames/Seine/Nile
the Hudson/Mississippi/Yangzte River
up (the) river
in the opposite direction to the flow of water in the river:
We sailed up river.
down (the) river
in the same direction as the flow of water in the river
More examples
- Changing the course of the river would cause serious environmental damage to the whole valley.
- Effluents from local factories are finding their way into the river.
- Several small streams feed into the river near here.
- We want clean rivers and lakes, where you can swim without risk to your health.
- They're building new houses by the river.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Watercourses & waterfalls
- arroyo
- barrage
- bayou
- beck
- brook
- burn
- cascade
- downriver
- Euphrates
- ghat
- gully
- headwater
- Mississippi
- rapids
- rivulet
- sluice
- spate
- upriver
- watercourse
- watershed
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Idiom(s)
rivers of sth