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riverbank

riverbank

24 1.3
The ground along the edge of a river
  • noun
  • /ˈrɪvərˌbæŋk/
translation icon : orilla del río
  • I'm standing on a riverbank.
  • walk along the riverbank

And so when many of the old poems are about going to the water, going to the riverbank to see your lover.

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Examples

  • According to Horne-Brine, some enterprising operators search the region's riverbanks and seashores salvaging driftwood logs.

    Academic text (1995)
  • They were pulled from the water by a black farmer who had spotted and followed them, running along the riverbank in the pre-dawn light.

  • The riverbank is public land.

  • Stay close to the riverbank.

  • He was found on the riverbank just south of the city.

  • There were three tall pines in a row on the riverbank, the middle one bigger.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Immediately the king hastened to the riverbank, eager to claim his riches.

  • Willows, cottonwood, and tamarack grew along the riverbank, and creatures were hiding behind the fresh growth.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Among tree roots, beneath fallen branches, and under the riverbank lurk catfish, carp, and small crabs.

    Academic text (1991)
  • We saw a family of ducks swimming near the riverbank yesterday.

Synonyms

bank
vsriverbank
160 3.0

A raised slope of earth beside water or a road

is about flat ground at the water's edge rather than a slope
riverside
vsriverbank
55 2.3

Land beside a river

is specifically the ground at the water's edge rather than the whole area
waterside
vsriverbank
2 3.2

Land along the edge of a river or lake

is limited to ground beside flowing water rather than all water bodies
Bankside
vsriverbank
6.7

Land at the side of a river

is the general ground beside the water rather than a specific local name
riverfront
vsriverbank
3.7

Next to a river, describing buildings or areas

focuses on natural ground at the edge, not built development

How Developed

port
248 1.3
harbor
  • US
460 1.8
dock
197 1.6
waterfront
72 3.2
riverbank
24 1.3
shore
441 1.0

Surface Forms

riverbank singular
riverbanks plural

Morphology

riverbank = river + bank (transparent) = river + bank

Direct compound of 'river' + 'bank'; the meaning is literally the bank beside a river and is easily inferable.

Etymology

The word riverbank is a simple combination of river and bank. The word river means the flowing water, and bank comes from an old word for a 'shelf' or 'ridge' of land, so a riverbank is the land 'shelf' beside a river.