A tributary can be a tiny stream, but some are immense rivers. The Missouri River, for example, could be called a tributary to the Mississippi, even though it's about 2,500 miles long and receives …

A confluence, where two or more bodies of water meet, usually refers to the joining of tributaries. The opposite to a tributary is a distributary, a river or stream that branches off from and flows away from …

/ ˈtrɪb·jəˌter·i / Add to word list a river or stream that flows into a larger river or lake: The Missouri River is a tributary of the Mississippi River (Definition of tributary from the Cambridge Academic Content …

Definition of tributary noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

TRIBUTARY meaning: a stream that flows into a larger stream or river or into a lake often used before another noun

1. Making additions or yielding supplies; contributory. 2. Paid in tribute. 3. Paying tribute: a tributary colony.

Nov 1, 2025 · tributary (plural tributaries) (hydrology) A natural water stream that flows into a larger river or other body of water. synonyms, antonym Synonyms: affluent, influent Antonym: distributary …

tributary, adj. & n. meanings, etymology, pronunciation and more in the Oxford English Dictionary

The noun tributary is related to the word tribute and both come from the Latin word tributum, meaning “a thing contributed or paid.” Long ago, a tributary was someone who was forced to pay a person or …

Aug 27, 2025 · A tributary is precisely defined as a stream or river that converges with and flows into a larger stream, river, or a lake. A key characteristic is that a tributary does not flow directly into a sea …