ford

IPA/fɔːd/
KK[fˈɔrd]IPA/fɔːrd/

ford — noun

  • fordsingular
  • fordsplural

1. a place in flowing water that is shallow enough for crossing by foot, vehicle, o

1.nounC1
Definition

a place in flowing water that is shallow enough for crossing by foot, vehicle, or animal.

Example

The old map showed a ford where the river bent around the hill.

collocation: showed + ford (with map as subject)

After three days of heavy rain, the ford was completely underwater.

passive: ford + [was] + underwater

Common collocations
  • ford + [be] + underwater
  • cross + the + ford
  • use + a/the + ford
  • at + the + ford
  • across + the + ford
Synonyms
  • crossing

    more general; a ford is a specific type of shallow river crossing

  • shoal

    refers to any shallow area in water, not necessarily a crossing point

Grammar Patterns

ford + verb phrase

at/across + the + ford

ford — verb

ford — biographical name

Word family

  • fording
    nounC2
  • fordable
    adjectiveC2
  • unfordable
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A ford is a specific kind of river feature: a shallow place you can walk or drive across. 'Crossing' is much broader — it can be a bridge, a ferry, or any point where a road meets a river. 'Shoal' refers to any shallow area of water, usually in the sea or a lake, and does not imply it is passable. 'Shallow' as a noun (e.g., 'the shallows') describes the general condition of low depth rather than a designated crossing spot. For example: 'We crossed the stream at the ford near the mill' highlights a known, usable spot, while 'the boat ran aground on a shoal' describes an underwater hazard.

shallow ↗crossing ↗shoal

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • ford a river
  • cross at a ford
  • reach the ford

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanProto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'ford' comes from Old English 'ford', meaning a shallow crossing place in a river. It shares ancient roots with the word 'fare' (to travel or go) and the German 'Furt' (a ford). The same Proto-Indo-European root *per- ('to go through, to cross') also gave us 'port' (a haven where ships cross through) and 'ferry' (a boat that carries people across water). Many English place names ending in '-ford' — such as Oxford ('oxen ford'), Stamford ('stone ford'), and Hereford ('army ford') — preserve this meaning from over a thousand years ago.

First known use

12th century

12th century, in the meaning defined above Verb