distributary

/di-ˈstri-byə-ˌter-ē -ˌte-rē/ (ame, mw)

distributary — noun

1. a side channel that splits from a larger river and carries water away from it to

1.名詞C2
釋義

a side channel that splits from a larger river and carries water away from it toward a sea or lake, without rejoining the main stream

例句

The Nile River splits into several distributaries before reaching the Mediterranean Sea.

collocation: split into distributaries

Near the coast, the main river breaks into smaller distributaries that spread across the wide delta.

同義詞
  • branch

    a more general term for any part of a river system that splits off

  • channel

    focuses on the watercourse shape rather than the splitting action

  • outlet

    emphasises the function of carrying water out of the main river to the sea

反義詞
  • tributary

    a river or stream that flows into a larger river, not away from it

文法句型

a distributary

distributaries (plural)

用法筆記

A distributary is the opposite of a tributary: a tributary flows into a larger river, while a distributary flows away from it. Distributaries are most common in river deltas near the coast.

常見錯誤

❌The Amazon River has many tributaries that flow away from it.
✅The Amazon River has many distributaries that flow away from it.
💡A tributary flows INTO the main river; a distributary flows OUT of it.