anabranch

English

Etymology

From ana- (“extracted from anastomosing”) +‎ branch.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈænəbɹæntʃ/, /ˈænəbɹɑːntʃ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

anabranch (plural anabranches)

1. (hydrology, of a water channel, especially in Australia) A diverging branch of a river, creek, or stream which re-enters the main stream.
   • 1834, Colonel Jackson, “Hints on the Subject of Geographical Arrangement and Nomenclature”, in The Journal of the Royal Geographical Society, Volume 4:

     Such branches of a river as after separation reunite, I would term anastomosing branches; or, if a word might be coined, anabranches, and the islands they form branch islands.

Related terms

• anabranched
• anabranching

References

• National Weather Service (2010 March 23 (last accessed)) “Anabranch”, in Glossary, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Further reading

• anabranch on Wikipedia.Wikipedia