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Glite Dictionary
Cam River

Cam River

3.5
A river in east central England that flows through Cambridge and joins the Ouse
  • proper noun
translation icon : río Cam
  • The Cam River flows through the heart of Cambridge.

Examples

  • Rowing competitions on the Cam River are a longstanding university tradition.

  • They enjoyed a peaceful afternoon walking along the banks of the Cam River.

  • The picturesque Cam River is a highlight for visitors and residents of Cambridge alike.

  • Have you ever visited the Cam River?

  • Rowing competitions on the Cam River are a longstanding university tradition.

  • The picturesque Cam River is a highlight for visitors and residents of Cambridge alike.

  • They enjoyed a peaceful afternoon walking along the banks of the Cam River.

Synonyms

Cam
vsCam River
40 6.8

A river in east central England that flows past Cambridge

uses a multiword form rather than a single-word name
River Cam
vsCam River
3.8

A river in east central England that flows through Cambridge

uses the inverted order with the specific name before the generic term

Surface Forms

Cam River main

Morphology

Cam + river

This is a straightforward proper-name + noun composition: knowing 'Cam' as the name and 'river' as a watercourse yields the meaning 'the river called the Cam'. The pattern 'X River' is cross-linguistically common and fully compositional, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will understand it.

Etymology

Cam River likely takes its name from an old word Cam meaning 'crooked' or 'bent'. The river has many bends as it runs through Cambridge, so the name gives a simple picture of a winding stream and explains why people call it Cam River today.