river
1 big and small rivers
2 different parts of rivers
3 the movement of rivers
4 crossing a river
5 using the water in rivers
see also COUNTRY, LAND
1 big and small rivers
- a stream of water that flows down to the sea from higher ground: river
The river is very deep just here.
- a small river: stream
a shallow stream
- a man-made channel, like a river, that boats can travel along: canal
Note: names of rivers usually have the River or simply the before them
the River Thames ◎ the Thames. Sometimes the name comes before the word 'river'
the Mississippi river.
- when the two sides of a river are close together, the river is narrow; opposite: wide, broad
- to become more narrow: narrow; to become wider: widen
As it nears the coast the river widens.
- when a river is so full that the water flows over the sides, it overflows, floods; when this happens, there is a flood
The fields were flooded when the river burst its banks.
- when there is no water in a river, it is dry
- to become dry: dry up
The animals are dying because all the rivers in the area have dried up.
2 different parts of rivers
- the side of a river: bank, river bank
We stopped for a picnic on the bank of the river.
- a wall of earth, stones, etc that is built along the side of a river, especially in a town: embankment
- the land on the side of a river: riverside
a riverside restaurant
- the bottom of a river: bottom, (river) bed
- a place where a river falls down a steep cliff or rock: waterfall, falls (noun plural)
the Niagara Falls
- a part of a river where the water flows very fast over rocks: rapids (noun plural)
- the place where a river starts: source (of a river)
- the place where a river flows into the sea: mouth (of a river); if the mouth of a river is very wide, it may be called an estuary
the Thames estuary
- if a river divides into several smaller rivers that flow into the sea, the mouth is called a delta
the Nile delta
3 the movement of rivers
- when the water in a river moves, the river runs*, flows
The stream runs through the bottom of the garden. ◎ It flows into the sea a few miles up the coast. ◎ a fast-flowing river
- the movement of the water in a river: current
You can't swim here because of the dangerous currents.
- a very small amount of water moving in a river: trickle
- a strong and fast movement of water: torrent
In the winter this river is a torrent, but in the summer it is reduced to just a trickle.
- the direction that a river takes: course
We followed the course of the river until it reached the sea.
- if you go along a river in the opposite direction from the sea, you go up the river, up river, upstream
I think the bridge is about another hundred yards upstream.
- if you go towards the sea, you go down the river, down river, downstream
- when a river has a lot of bends and curves, it winds*
- a space between hills or mountains where a river runs: valley
- a narrow, deep valley with steep, rocky sides: gorge, ravine
- a large area of fresh water which a river flows into: lake
Lake Windermere
4 crossing a river
- to go from one side of a river to the other: cross (sth), go across (sth)
- to walk through deep water: wade; if you cross a river like this, you wade across it
- a structure that is built across a river so that people, cars, trains, etc can go across: bridge
- a man-made passage that goes under a river so that cars, trains, etc can go across: tunnel
- a boat that goes backwards and forwards across a river carrying people, cars, etc: ferry
- a place where a road crosses a river through shallow water: ford
※ more on bridges BRIDGE
5 using the water in rivers
- a wall that is built across a river to hold back the water and form a lake: dam; to make a dam: dam sth
- a lake that is made in this way: reservoir
- to supply farming land with water by means of pipes, channels, etc: irrigate (sth); noun (U): irrigation
an irrigation scheme
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