rivulet C1 Topic:Nature & Landscape US /ˈɹɪv.jə.lɪt/ UK /ˈɹɪv.jʊ.lɪt/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 noun a small stream or brook, often a minor tributary of a river The path followed a gentle rivulet through the forest. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · a small stream or brook,... brookstreamletcreekrillrunnel Etymology AI details rivulet (Modern English, 'small stream'); from Latin _rivus_ ('stream') plus the diminutive suffix _-ulus_, via Italian _rivuletto_ and Middle French _rivolet_. Topics Nature & Landscape External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # rivulet **Type:** Word **Level:** C1 **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˈɹɪv.jə.lɪt/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈɹɪv.jʊ.lɪt/ ## Meanings 1. a small stream or brook, often a minor tributary of a river ## Examples - The path followed a gentle rivulet through the forest. ## Synonyms - brook - streamlet - creek - rill - runnel ## Etymology rivulet (Modern English, 'small stream'); from Latin _rivus_ ('stream') plus the diminutive suffix _-ulus_, via Italian _rivuletto_ and Middle French _rivolet_. ## AI Etymology Rivulet is a Modern English word meaning 'small stream', from Latin rivus ('stream') plus the diminutive suffix -ulus, via Italian rivuletto and Middle French rivolet. In current use it is a noun meaning "a small stream or brook, often a minor tributary of a river". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The surface form is compositional: its joined elements remain visible in the modern word. A diminutive element is part of the history, marking a smaller or derived form. The word's history is thus visible in its construction: the components remain interpretable even after the whole expression has settled into a conventional English meaning. ## Topics - Nature & Landscape markdown