river: Meaning and Definition of

riv•er

Pronunciation: (riv'ur), [key]
— n.
  1. a natural stream of water of fairly large size flowing in a definite course or channel or series of diverging and converging channels.
  2. a similar stream of something other than water: a river of lava; a river of ice.
  3. any abundant stream or copious flow; outpouring: rivers of tears; rivers of words.
  4. (cap.)the constellation Eridanus.
  5. a vertical channel of white space resulting from the alignment in several lines of spaces between words.
  6. to betray; desert; mislead: to sell one's friends down the river.
  7. to be sent up the river for a bank robbery.
    1. to prison:to be sent up the river for a bank robbery.
    2. in prison:Thirty years up the river had made him a stranger to society.

riv•er

Pronunciation: (rī'vur), [key]
— n.
  1. a person who rives.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
See also: