noun
- Plural of distributary; branches of a river that flow away from the main channel and do not rejoin it, typically found in deltas.
Usage: Geography/geology term; Contrasts with tributaries, which flow into a main river
Examples
- The Nile Delta contains numerous distributaries that carry water to the Mediterranean Sea.
- As the river approaches the coast, it splits into several distributaries.
- The Mississippi River forms many distributaries in its delta region.
- Distributaries spread sediment across the delta plain, building new land.
- Unlike tributaries that merge into the main river, distributaries branch away from it.