Word
tributary
Phoneticstrib·u·tary
US/ˈtɹɪbjəˌtɛɹi/
UK/tɹˈɪbjuːtəɹi/
Definition
n. a smaller river or stream that flows into a larger one. It can also describe a smaller blood vessel that joins a larger one in your body.
n. a stream or river that flows into a larger main stem or a lake; in anatomy, a smaller vein or lymphatic vessel that empties into a larger trunk.
Examples
“The Missouri River is a major tributary of the Mississippi.”
“Heavy rainfall in the mountains caused every small tributary to swell, eventually flooding the main river valley downstream.”
“The surgeon carefully mapped the vascular network, identifying each minor tributary that fed into the primary vein to prevent excessive bleeding during the procedure.”
Examples
simple
“The Missouri River is a major tributary of the Mississippi.”
contextual
“Heavy rainfall in the mountains caused every small tributary to swell, eventually flooding the main river valley downstream.”
complex
“The surgeon carefully mapped the vascular network, identifying each minor tributary that fed into the primary vein to prevent excessive bleeding during the procedure.”
Usage
Often used with the preposition 'of' to indicate the larger body of water or vessel it joins.
Real-World Examples
“IIASA modeling shows exceptionally low minimum flows across the Danube and most of its tributaries in July 2026.” “The Lhende Khola River, a tributary of the Bhotekoshi, had maximum flooding on Wednesday, they said.” “The Bear River is the Great Salt Lake’s largest tributary .” Etymology
PIE word *tréyes From Middle English tributarie (“paying tribute”), from Latin tribūtārius, from tribūtum (“tribute”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/tributary