tributary.

1. A stream or river that flows into a larger river or other watercourse.

2. Paying tribute or standing in a dependent relationship to another power.

3. A person or state that pays tribute to a superior power.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• river tributary
• tributary stream

On the page

A tributary joined the river below the bridge.

The map marked three tributaries.

Snowmelt filled the mountain tributary.

Usage notes

Primary category: environment. Forms: Noun tributary; tributaries. Adjective normally non-gradable. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.