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Glite Dictionary
Orinoco River

Orinoco River

1 3.7
A large river in northern South America that flows through Venezuela and Colombia into the Atlantic Ocean
  • proper noun
: río Orinoco
  • Many wildlife species thrive along the banks of the Orinoco River, making it a vital ecosystem.

Examples

  • The Orinoco River is one of the longest rivers in South America, flowing through both Venezuela and Colombia.

  • The eastern part of Venezuela next to Guyana, where the Orinoco River delta is and it flows out to the Atlantic.

  • Tourists often take boat tours along the Orinoco River to explore its diverse scenery and rich biodiversity.

Synonyms

Orinoco
vsOrinoco River
3 7.7

A large river in northern South America that flows through Venezuela and Colombia into the Atlantic

has identical meaning but uses miles only and different phrasing

Surface Forms

Orinoco River main

Morphology

Orinoco + river

This is a straightforward compositional place name: combining the proper name 'Orinoco' with the common noun 'river' yields the river called Orinoco. The pattern PROPN + river is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily understand it refers to a river (and can infer basic facts from the name or look up specifics).

Etymology

Orinoco River may come from a native word meaning 'place to paddle' or 'river of canoes', because long ago local people used many small boats on it. That's why this name stuck for the big river we know today.