Meaning & use
tributary
A stream or smaller river that flows into a larger river, lake, or other body of water.
See it in a sentence
The Missouri River is the longest tributary of the Mississippi.
Several small tributaries join the river as it winds through the valley.
A note on using this word
Tributary can also function as an adjective for a state that pays tribute to a more powerful one, though the geographic noun sense is far more common.
Words with a similar meaning
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