ford

¹ American  

[fawrd, fohrd] / fɔrd, foʊrd /

noun

1. a place where a river or other body of water is shallow enough to be crossed by wading.

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verb (used with object)

1. to cross (a river, stream, etc.) at a ford.

Ford ² American  

[fawrd, fohrd] / fɔrd, foʊrd /

noun

1. Elizabeth Bloomer Betty, 1918–2011, U.S. First Lady 1974–77 (wife of Gerald R. Ford).

2. Ford Madox Ford Madox Hueffer, 1873–1939, English novelist, poet, critic, and editor.

3. Gerald R(udolph, Jr.) Leslie Lynch King, Jr., 1913–2006, U.S. political leader: congressman 1948–73; vice president 1973–74; 38th president of the U.S. 1974–77.

4. Guy Stanton, 1873–1963, U.S. historian, educator, and editor.

5. Henry, 1863–1947, U.S. automobile manufacturer.

6. John, 1586?–c1640, English playwright.

7. John Sean O'Feeney, 1895–1973, U.S. film director.

8. a male given name.

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Ford ¹ British  

/ fɔːd /

noun

1. Ford Maddox (ˈmædəks) original name Ford Madox Hueffer . 1873–1939, English novelist, editor, and critic; works include The Good Soldier (1915) and the war tetralogy Parade's End (1924–28).

2. Gerald R ( udolph ). 1913–2006, US politician; 38th president of the US (1974–77)

3. Harrison . born 1942, US film actor. His films include Star Wars (1977) and its sequels, Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and its sequels, Bladerunner (1982), Clear and Present Danger (1994), and What Lies Beneath (2000)

4. Henry . 1863–1947, US car manufacturer, who pioneered mass production

5. John . 1586–?1639, English dramatist; author of revenge tragedies such as 'Tis Pity She's a Whore (1633)

6. John , real name Sean O'Feeney . 1895–1973, US film director, esp of Westerns such as Stagecoach (1939) and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949)

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ford ² British  

/ fɔːd /

noun

1. a shallow area in a river that can be crossed by car, horseback, etc

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verb

1. (tr) to cross (a river, brook, etc) over a shallow area

Other Word Forms

• fordable adjective
• unfordable adjective
• unforded adjective

Etymology

Origin of ford

before 900; Middle English (noun), Old English; cognate with Old Frisian forda, German Furt; akin to Old Norse fjǫrthr, fare, port ¹

Example Sentences

A search of the River Aln revealed his car, which was unoccupied, had been swept downstream from the ford at Abberwick "as a result of storm water", Mr Hetherington said.

From BBC • Jan. 8, 2025

Search teams gathered from first light and are scouring the banks of the river from the ford between Bolton and Abberwick, all the way to the sea at Alnmouth.

From BBC • Dec. 11, 2024

They have been scouring the area around Abberwick ford where a minor road crosses the River Aln near the village of Bolton in North Northumberland.

From BBC • Dec. 10, 2024

For decades, cars have been splashing through a notorious ford to the delight of onlookers, making it both a tourist attraction and social media sensation.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2024

"They must have found a ford by now well to the east of us. From there they will try to ride straight to Anvard."

From "The Horse and His Boy" by C.S. Lewis

Related Words

• cruise
• cut across
• navigate
• pass over
• ply
• sail
• span
• traverse