river

See also: River

English

A river

Etymology 1

From Middle English ryver, from Anglo-Norman rivere, from Early Medieval Latin rīpāria (“littoral, riverbank”), from Latin rīpārius (“of a riverbank”), from Latin rīpa (“river bank”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁reyp- (“to scratch, tear, cut”). Unrelated to Latin rīvus (“stream”) (whence rival, derive). Doublet of riviera and rivière. Displaced native Old English ēa.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɹɪvə/
• (General American) enPR: rĭv'ər, IPA^(key): /ˈɹɪvɚ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪvə(ɹ)
• Hyphenation: riv‧er

Noun

river (plural rivers)

2. A large and often winding stream which drains a land mass, carrying water down from higher areas to a lower point, oftentimes ending in another body of water, such as an ocean or in an inland sea.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:river

   Occasionally rivers overflow their banks and cause floods.

   • 1908 October, Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, →OCLC:

     By the side of the river he trotted as one trots, when very small, by the side of a man who holds one spell-bound by exciting stories; and when tired at last, he sat on the bank, while the river still chattered on to him, a babbling procession of the best stories in the world, sent from the heart of the earth to be told at last to the insatiable sea.

   • 2013 June 29, “High and wet”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, page 28:

     Floods in northern India, mostly in the small state of Uttarakhand, have wrought disaster on an enormous scale. The early, intense onset of the monsoon on June 14th swelled rivers, washing away roads, bridges, hotels and even whole villages. Rock-filled torrents smashed vehicles and homes, burying victims under rubble and sludge.

3. Any large flow of a liquid in a single body.

   a river of blood

5. (poker) The last card dealt in a hand.
   • 2017, Nathan Schwiethale, Ace High: Mastering Low Stakes Poker Cash Games, page 70:

     He called instantly but was too ashamed to show until the river.

6. (typography) A visually undesirable effect of white space running down a page, caused by spaces between words on consecutive lines happening to coincide.

Usage notes

• As with the names of lakes and mountains, the names of rivers are typically formed by adding the word before or after the unique term: the River Thames or the Yangtze River. Generally speaking, names formed using adjectives or attributives see river added to the end, as with the Yellow River. It is less common to add river before names than it is with lakes, but many of the rivers of Britain are written that way, as with the River Severn; indeed, British English tends to use "River X" in such cases while American, South African, Australian and New Zealand English use "X River". The former derives from the earlier but now uncommon form river of ~: the 19th century River of Jordan is now usually simply the River Jordan.
• It is common to preface the proper names of rivers with the article the.
• Concerning the reference of its coordinate terms, some people say: you can step over a brook, jump over a creek, wade across a stream, and swim across a river.

Derived terms

• Apple River
• Arm River
• atmospheric river
• Bear River
• Blue River
• braided river
• Chinese river dolphin
• Crimea river
• cross-river
• cross the river
• cry someone a river
• Crystal River
• Deep River
• denial is not a river in Egypt
• Detroit River
• downriver
• Eagle River
• Elk River
• Fall River
• French River
• from the river to the sea
• Fryingpan River
• Garden River
• Gila River
• Green River
• Gunnison River
• Hay River
• heritage river
• Hood River
• Huai River, Huai river
• Hutt River
• Indian River
• inverted river delta
• Japanese river fever
• Kansas River
• Klip River
• lazy river
• Lister's river snail
• Little Colorado River
• Little River
• lost river
• Lost River sucker
• Mad River
• Maurice River
• Middle River
• midriver
• Mississippi River
• Mooi River
• Moose River
• Mora River
• multiriver
• myrtle of the river
• Northern Rivers
• over the river
• over the river and through the woods
• palaeoriver
• paleoriver
• pass the river
• Peace River
• Pearl River
• pink river dolphin
• Powder River
• Puerco River
• red river hog
• riverage
• riverbank
• river basin
• riverbed
• riverbend
• river birch
• river blindness
• riverboard
• riverboarder
• riverboarding
• riverboat
• river bottom
• river boulder
• river bug
• river bugging
• river-bush
• rivercane
• river carp
• river chicken
• river chub
• river crab
• rivercraft
• Riverdale
• riverdamsel
• riverdance
• river dog
• river dolphin
• River Don
• river-dragon
• river duck (Anatinae)
• river dune
• riveret
• riverfront
• riverful
• river god
• rivergoing
• river gum
• Riverhead
• riverhemp
• river hog (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris)
• riverhood
• river horse
• riverine
• riverish
• river jack
• riverkeeper
• river lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis)
• riverless
• riverlet
• riverlike
• river limpet (Ancylus fluviatilis)
• riverling
• riverman
• river mouth
• river mussel (Unionidae)
• river oats
• river otter
• riverpark
• river pear (Grias cauliflora)
• riverplain
• river poison
• riverport
• river prawn (Macrobrachium spp.)
• river pumpkin
• river rat
• river red gum
• river run
• river runner
• river running
• riverscape
• river shad (Alosa chrysochloris, Gudusia spp.)
• river shark
• riverside
• river snail (Viviparidae)
• river swallow
• river turtle
• riverwalk
• river walk
• river warbler
• riverward
• riverwards
• riverwater
• river water
• riverway
• riverweed
• riverwise
• riverwoman
• riverworthy
• rivery
• Roaring Fork River
• run-of-the-river
• Rush River
• Russian River
• Sables-Spanish Rivers
• Saint Lawrence River
• salmon river, Salmon River
• Salt River
• sell down the river
• Sendai River
• Smoky River
• St. Johns River
• St. Marys River
• submarine river
• Swan River
• Three Rivers
• tidal river
• Touws River
• Two Hearted River
• Two Rivers
• upriver
• up the river
• White River
• wild river
• Yampa River
• Yellow river
• Yellow River
• you can't step in the same river twice
• youthful river
• Zuni River

 

• English terms starting with “river”

Descendants

• → Finnish: river (“river (in poker)”)
• Sranan Tongo: liba

Translations

See river/translations § Noun.

See also

• fluvial
• tributary (noun)
• Category:Rivers

Verb

river (third-person singular simple present rivers, present participle rivering, simple past and past participle rivered)

1. (poker) To improve one’s hand to beat another player on the final card in a poker game.

   Johnny rivered me by drawing that ace of spades.

Etymology 2

From rive +‎ -er.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɹaɪvə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɹaɪvɚ/
• Rhymes: -aɪvə(ɹ)

Noun

river (plural rivers)

1. One who rives or splits.

Further reading

• river on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “river”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Danish

Noun

river c

1. indefinite plural of rive

Verb

river

1. present of rive

Finnish

Etymology

Borrowed from English river.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈriʋer/, [ˈriʋe̞r]
• Rhymes: -iʋer
• Hyphenation^(key): ri‧ver

Noun

river

1. (poker) river (fifth communal card in Texas hold'em)

Declension

Inflection of river (Kotus type 6/paperi, no gradation)
nominative		river	riverit
genitive		riverin	riverien rivereiden rivereitten
partitive		riveriä	rivereitä riverejä
illative		riveriin	rivereihin
		singular	plural
nominative		river	riverit
accusative	nom.	river	riverit
	gen.	riverin
genitive		riverin	riverien rivereiden rivereitten
partitive		riveriä	rivereitä riverejä
inessive		riverissä	rivereissä
elative		riveristä	rivereistä
illative		riveriin	rivereihin
adessive		riverillä	rivereillä
ablative		riveriltä	rivereiltä
allative		riverille	rivereille
essive		riverinä	rivereinä
translative		riveriksi	rivereiksi
abessive		riverittä	rivereittä
instructive		—	riverein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of river (Kotus type 6/paperi, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative riverini riverini accusative nom. riverini riverini gen. riverini genitive riverini riverieni rivereideni rivereitteni partitive riveriäni rivereitäni riverejäni inessive riverissäni rivereissäni elative riveristäni rivereistäni illative riveriini rivereihini adessive riverilläni rivereilläni ablative riveriltäni rivereiltäni allative riverilleni rivereilleni essive riverinäni rivereinäni translative riverikseni rivereikseni abessive riverittäni rivereittäni instructive — — comitative — rivereineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative riverisi riverisi accusative nom. riverisi riverisi gen. riverisi genitive riverisi riveriesi rivereidesi rivereittesi partitive riveriäsi rivereitäsi riverejäsi inessive riverissäsi rivereissäsi elative riveristäsi rivereistäsi illative riveriisi rivereihisi adessive riverilläsi rivereilläsi ablative riveriltäsi rivereiltäsi allative riverillesi rivereillesi essive riverinäsi rivereinäsi translative riveriksesi rivereiksesi abessive riverittäsi rivereittäsi instructive — — comitative — rivereinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative riverimme riverimme accusative nom. riverimme riverimme gen. riverimme genitive riverimme riveriemme rivereidemme rivereittemme partitive riveriämme rivereitämme riverejämme inessive riverissämme rivereissämme elative riveristämme rivereistämme illative riveriimme rivereihimme adessive riverillämme rivereillämme ablative riveriltämme rivereiltämme allative riverillemme rivereillemme essive riverinämme rivereinämme translative riveriksemme rivereiksemme abessive riverittämme rivereittämme instructive — — comitative — rivereinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative riverinne riverinne accusative nom. riverinne riverinne gen. riverinne genitive riverinne riverienne rivereidenne rivereittenne partitive riveriänne rivereitänne riverejänne inessive riverissänne rivereissänne elative riveristänne rivereistänne illative riveriinne rivereihinne adessive riverillänne rivereillänne ablative riveriltänne rivereiltänne allative riverillenne rivereillenne essive riverinänne rivereinänne translative riveriksenne rivereiksenne abessive riverittänne rivereittänne instructive — — comitative — rivereinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative riverinsä riverinsä accusative nom. riverinsä riverinsä gen. riverinsä genitive riverinsä riveriensä rivereidensä rivereittensä partitive riveriään riveriänsä rivereitään riverejään rivereitänsä riverejänsä inessive riverissään riverissänsä rivereissään rivereissänsä elative riveristään riveristänsä rivereistään rivereistänsä illative riveriinsä rivereihinsä adessive riverillään riverillänsä rivereillään rivereillänsä ablative riveriltään riveriltänsä rivereiltään rivereiltänsä allative riverilleen riverillensä rivereilleen rivereillensä essive riverinään riverinänsä rivereinään rivereinänsä translative riverikseen riveriksensä rivereikseen rivereiksensä abessive riverittään riverittänsä rivereittään rivereittänsä instructive — — comitative — rivereineen rivereinensä

Synonyms

• viides avokortti, viimeinen avokortti

See also

• joki (“river”)

French

Etymology

From a Germanic source (compare Danish rive).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁi.ve/

Verb

river

1. to drive/set a rivet

Conjugation

Conjugation of river (see also Appendix:French verbs)

infinitive	simple	river
	compound	avoir + past participle
present participle or gerund1	simple	rivant /ʁi.vɑ̃/
	compound	ayant + past participle
past participle		rivé /ʁi.ve/
		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		je (j’)	tu	il, elle, on	nous	vous	ils, elles
(simple tenses)	present	rive /ʁiv/	rives /ʁiv/	rive /ʁiv/	rivons /ʁi.vɔ̃/	rivez /ʁi.ve/	rivent /ʁiv/
	imperfect	rivais /ʁi.vɛ/	rivais /ʁi.vɛ/	rivait /ʁi.vɛ/	rivions /ʁi.vjɔ̃/	riviez /ʁi.vje/	rivaient /ʁi.vɛ/
	past historic2	rivai /ʁi.ve/	rivas /ʁi.va/	riva /ʁi.va/	rivâmes /ʁi.vam/	rivâtes /ʁi.vat/	rivèrent /ʁi.vɛʁ/
	future	riverai /ʁi.vʁe/	riveras /ʁi.vʁa/	rivera /ʁi.vʁa/	riverons /ʁi.vʁɔ̃/	riverez /ʁi.vʁe/	riveront /ʁi.vʁɔ̃/
	conditional	riverais /ʁi.vʁɛ/	riverais /ʁi.vʁɛ/	riverait /ʁi.vʁɛ/	riverions /ʁi.və.ʁjɔ̃/	riveriez /ʁi.və.ʁje/	riveraient /ʁi.vʁɛ/
(compound tenses)	present perfect	present indicative of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
	past anterior2	past historic of avoir + past participle
	future perfect	future of avoir + past participle
	conditional perfect	conditional of avoir + past participle
subjunctive		que je (j’)	que tu	qu’il, qu’elle	que nous	que vous	qu’ils, qu’elles
(simple tenses)	present	rive /ʁiv/	rives /ʁiv/	rive /ʁiv/	rivions /ʁi.vjɔ̃/	riviez /ʁi.vje/	rivent /ʁiv/
	imperfect2	rivasse /ʁi.vas/	rivasses /ʁi.vas/	rivât /ʁi.va/	rivassions /ʁi.va.sjɔ̃/	rivassiez /ʁi.va.sje/	rivassent /ʁi.vas/
(compound tenses)	past	present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect2	imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative		–	tu	–	nous	vous	–
simple		—	rive /ʁiv/	—	rivons /ʁi.vɔ̃/	rivez /ʁi.ve/	—
compound		—	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	—	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	—
1 The French gerund is usable only with the preposition en.
2 In less formal writing or speech, these tenses may be found to have been replaced in the following way: past historic → present perfect past anterior → pluperfect imperfect subjunctive → present subjunctive pluperfect subjunctive → past subjunctive (Christopher Kendris [1995], Master the Basics: French, pp. 77, 78, 79, 81).

Related terms

• rive

Further reading

• “river”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• virer

Latin

Verb

rīver

1. first-person singular present passive subjunctive of rīvō

Middle English

Noun

river

1. Alternative form of ryver

Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

river m or f

1. indefinite plural of rive

Verb

river

1. present of rive

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

river f

1. indefinite plural of rive

Verb

river

1. (non-standard since 2012) present of riva

Swedish

Verb

river

1. present indicative of riva

Anagrams

• revir, virre