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riv·er (rĭvər)
Share:
n.
1. Abbr. R. A large natural stream of water emptying into an ocean, lake, or other body of water and usually fed along its course by converging tributaries.
2. A stream or abundant flow: a river of tears.
3. The fifth and last of the community cards in various poker games, especially Texas hold'em.
tr.v. riv·ered, riv·er·ing, riv·ers
To win a hand in poker by beating (someone) on the basis of the last community card that is turned up.
Idiom:
up the river Slang
In or into prison.

[Middle English rivere, from Anglo-Norman, from Vulgar Latin *rīpāria, from Latin, feminine of rīpārius, of a bank, from rīpa, bank.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.