Meaning & use

ford

verb·Academic

To cross a river or stream by walking, riding, or driving through a shallow part of it.

See it in a sentence

The hikers forded the river at its narrowest point rather than wait for the bridge.

Wagon trains often forded rivers at dawn, when the water level was lowest.

A note on using this word

"Ford" can also be a noun for the shallow crossing point itself, as in "they camped near the ford."

Words with a similar meaning

wade acrosscross

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. noun

A shallow place in a river or stream where it can be crossed on foot or by vehicle.

The old map marked a ford just north of the small village.

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