Rio Grande

¹

[ ree-oh grand, gran-dee, grahn-dey Portuguese ree-oo grahn-di ]

noun

1. Mexican Rio Bravo. a river flowing from SW Colorado through central New Mexico and along the boundary between Texas and Mexico into the Gulf of Mexico. 1,800 miles (2,900 km) long.
2. a river flowing W from SE Brazil into the Paraná River. 650 miles (1,050 km) long.
3. Also called Rio Grande do Sul. São Pedro do Río Grande do Sul.

Río Grande

²

[ ree-oh grahn-dey, -dee; Spanish ree-aw grahn-de ]

noun

1. a city in NE Puerto Rico.
2. a river in central Nicaragua, flowing NE to the Caribbean Sea. About 200 miles (320 km) long.

Rio Grande

noun

1. ˈriːəʊ ˈɡrændˈɡrændɪ a river in North America, rising in SW Colorado and flowing southeast to the Gulf of Mexico, forming the border between the US and Mexico. Length: about 3030 km (1885 miles) Mexican nameRío Bravo
2. ˈriu ˈɡrəndi a port in SE Brazil, in SE Rio Grande do Sul state: serves as the port for Porto Alegre. Pop: 188 000 (2005 est)

Rio Grande

1. River running east from Colorado to the Gulf of Mexico , dividing the United States from Mexico .

About This Word

What does Rio Grande mean?

Rio Grande, which means “big river” in Spanish, is the name given to a large river located in North America.

The Rio Grande flows from southwestern Colorado through New Mexico and along the border between Texas and Mexico and empties into the Gulf of Mexico. In Mexico, this river is called Río Bravo, which is Spanish for “rough river.”

Rio Grande is the name of a river located in south central Brazil and of a port city located along this river in the Brazilian state of Río Grande do Sol.

Example: My favorite vacation was when we went kayaking on the Rio Grande.

Where does Rio Grande come from?

It is thought that the name Rio Grande for the large river was first used by Spanish explorer Juan de Oñate, who crossed part of the river in 1598. Prior to de Oñate, this river was referred to by the Pueblo people as Posoge, meaning “big river.” Earlier Spanish explorers used a variety of names to refer to the river, including Río de Nuestra Señora by Hernando de Alvarado in 1540 and Río del Norte by Antonio de Espejo in 1582.

According to the United States Geological Survey, the Rio Grande is tied for the fourth longest river in the United States with the Saint Lawrence River at 1,900 miles. The Rio Grande is recognized as the official boundary between the American state of Texas and the nation of Mexico as was established in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo signed in 1848.

Use of the water of the Rio Grande is divided between the United States and Mexico. In 1944, a treaty was signed between the two countries to determine the status of the water flowing on the Mexican-American border. Today, this treaty still dictates who gets access to the water and when.

Did you know ... ?

What are some words that often get used in discussing Rio Grande?

• water
• river
• valley
• bank

How is Rio Grande used in real life?

The Rio Grande is a major part of the geography of the United States and Mexico.

I love hearing the flowing #water of the Rio Grande #river here in #NewMexico.

— The Water Man (@LetsDrinkWater) April 26, 2012

930pm: Thunderstorms currently developing along the Rio Grande & may impact #Laredo. Small hail and brief gusty winds possible. #txwx #stxwx

— NWS Corpus Christi (@NWSCorpus) April 24, 2016

Spent some time learning about pecan farming along the Rio Grande yesterday. You have to inundate the fields. In the dessert. I'm going to look at the next pecan I see with suspicion.

— D̷̡̯̺̻̽̎̑̅m̶̼̐͊̂͂̈ (@_Bad_Infinity) February 5, 2019

 

 

Try using Rio Grande!

True or False?

Rio Grande means “small river.”