often attributive
1
a
: a natural stream of water of usually considerable volume
b
2
a
: something resembling a river
a river of lava
b
rivers plural
: large or overwhelming quantities
drank rivers of coffee
Examples of river in a Sentence
The raft is too small to use on this part of the river.
Rivers of mud flowed down the hillside.
Recent Examples on the Web
The virus also can spread through waterfowl by similar means, especially when the property is near a river or a pond.
—
Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 11 Jan. 2025
Widespread flash floods occurred in Afghanistan and Pakistan, while rising levels in the Yangtze and Pearl rivers in southern China damaged rice crops.
—Fernanda González, WIRED, 10 Jan. 2025
The biggest blue stripe represents Lake Michigan while the smaller blue stripes represent the state’s various rivers such as the Mississippi and the Illinois.
—Chicago Tribune, 10 Jan. 2025
Two people died and another person was seriously injured after a vehicle ran off a bridge and landed in a river early Friday morning, Kansas City police said.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for river 
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Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 11 Jan. 2025
Widespread flash floods occurred in Afghanistan and Pakistan, while rising levels in the Yangtze and Pearl rivers in southern China damaged rice crops.
—Fernanda González, WIRED, 10 Jan. 2025
The biggest blue stripe represents Lake Michigan while the smaller blue stripes represent the state’s various rivers such as the Mississippi and the Illinois.
—Chicago Tribune, 10 Jan. 2025
Two people died and another person was seriously injured after a vehicle ran off a bridge and landed in a river early Friday morning, Kansas City police said.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for river
Articles Related to river
Dictionary Entries Near river
Cite this Entry
“River.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/river. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
river
noun
riv·er
ˈriv-ər 
1
: a natural stream of water larger than a brook or creek
2
: a large stream or flow
the jet stream is a river of air
Etymology
Middle English rivere "river," from early French rivere (same meaning), derived from Latin riparius "related to or located on the bank of a river," from ripa "shore"
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