riverbed definition

English

Alternative forms

• river-bed
• river bed

Etymology

From river +‎ bed. Compare Dutch rivierbedding (“riverbed”), German Flussbett (“riverbed”), Swedish flodbädd (“riverbed”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɹɪv.əˌbɛd/
• (General American) enPR: rĭvʹər-bĕd', IPA^(key): /ˈɹɪv.ɚˌbɛd/
• (AAVE, some speakers) IPA^(key): [ˈɹɪv.ɚˌbeː]
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈɹɪv.əˌbed/
• Hyphenation: riv‧er‧bed

Noun

riverbed (plural riverbeds)

1. (hydrology) The path where a river runs, or where a river once ran; the bottom earthen part of a river, not including the riverbanks.
   • 2021 September 8, “Network News: West Coast Main Line viaducts reinforced by underwater concrete”, in RAIL, number 939, page 10:

     Detailed laser surveys carried out by Network Rail revealed that fast-flowing water on the River Eden has caused parts of the riverbed to wash away, posing a risk to the viaduct foundations.

Synonyms

• stream bed

Related terms

• wadi
• Terms suffixed with "-bed": creekbed, lakebed, oceanbed, seabed, streambed

Translations