tributary
TRIB-yoo-tair-ee
/ˈtrɪbjətəri/
A river or stream flowing into a larger river or lake.
Refers to feeder streams that pay water into a main river trunk, increasing its volume.
The story behind the word. In ancient Rome, conquered states paid a 'tribute' (financial payment) to the Roman capital. Geographers later borrowed the word to describe how smaller streams 'pay tribute' by pouring their waters into a dominant main river.
Word relationships
- feeder: 'Feeder' is an informal term for a smaller stream, while 'tributary' is the formal geographical designation.
- distributary: A 'distributary' is a branch that flows away from the main river channel, opposite to a tributary.
Commonly confused with
- estuary: A tributary is a river flowing into another river inland; an estuary is where a river mouth meets ocean tides.
Word family
- tribute (noun): An act, statement, or gift that shows gratitude or respect; historical tax paid to a ruler.
Collocations
- major tributary
- river tributary
- tributary stream
- feed as a tributary
Example sentences
- "The Missouri River is the longest tributary feeding into the Mississippi River system." Physical Geography
- "Heavy snowfall in the mountains swelled every minor tributary, causing downstream flooding." Hydrology
Memory hook
TRIBUTARY pays TRIBUTE (water) to the main river king! Paying water to the king river.
When not to use
Do not use for river branches that split off and flow away from the main river (those are distributaries).
Fun facts
- The Amazon River has over 1,100 tributaries, a dozen of which are individually longer than the Mississippi River.
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