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

It is thought the 43-year-old former wing's car was swept away while he tried to drive across a Northumbrian ford during Storm Darragh last month.

From BBC • Jan. 8, 2025

A water level indicator at the ford showed the river was still around one foot deep, but it would have been much higher at the weekend when Storm Darragh lashed the UK.

From BBC • Dec. 11, 2024

A ford has existed in the same spot for hundreds of years - and cars, vans, lorries and tractors have been crossing it likely since the invention of the motor vehicle.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2024

But YouTubers and TikTokers have made it famous far beyond the East Midlands after millions of people started watching videos of vehicles splashing through the ford, and sometimes failing to get through.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2024

When they had been riding for some time, they came to a ford like the one at which he had fought the first fight with King Arthur.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

Related Words

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