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Glite Dictionary
distributary

distributary

8.6
A smaller river channel in a delta that flows away from the main river and does not rejoin it
  • noun
  • /dɪˈstrɪbjʊˌtɛri/
  • Specialized
translation icon : distributario
  • Wade (1988:163) writes that in the South uplands of India, "villages towards the tail end of an irrigation distributary tend to have a less adequate, more unreliable water supply than villages higher up."

Examples

  • During the rainy season, the river's distributaries bring water and nutrients to the surrounding wetlands.

  • Inequities arise because loose operation of the system allows water stealing, infrequent or improper maintenance of distributaries, or simply results in unreliable water deliveries to those less advantageously situated on the project.

    Academic text (1995)

  • The Caroni River divides into several distributaries that flow through the swamp area.

  • Flooding can create new distributaries as water escapes the main river channel.

Antonyms

tributary
15 4.6

A smaller river that flows into a larger river or lake

Surface Forms

distributary singular
distributaries plural

Morphology

distributary = distribute (semi-transparent) = distribute + ary

Formally derived from 'distribute' + '-ary' so the relation is clear, but the specialized hydrological meaning 'a river branch' is a technical extension not immediately inferable by all learners.

Etymology

The word distributary comes from the verb distribute ('to give out' or 'spread') and the ending -ary that makes it a thing that does this. So a distributary is a river branch that 'gives out' water away from the main stream, spreading it across the land.