river

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A large natural stream of water flowing across land toward the sea, a lake, or another river.

   The river was navigable for fifty miles.

2. 2
   noun

   A large flowing mass of any liquid.

   A river of lava poured down the side of the volcano.

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.

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