Ouse

American  

[ooz] / uz /

noun

1. Also called Great Ouse.  a river in E England, flowing NE to the Wash. 160 miles (260 km) long.

2. a river in NE England, in Yorkshire, flowing SE to the Humber. 57 miles (92 km) long.

3. a river in SE England, flowing S to the English Channel. 30 miles (48 km) long.

---

Ouse British  

/ uːz /

noun

1. Also called: Great Ouse.  a river in E England, rising in Northamptonshire and flowing northeast to the Wash near King's Lynn; for the last 56 km (35 miles) follows mainly artificial channels. Length: 257 km (160 miles)

2. a river in NE England, in Yorkshire, formed by the confluence of the Swale and Ure Rivers: flows southeast to the Humber. Length: 92 km (57 miles)

3. a river in S England, rising in Sussex and flowing south to the English Channel. Length: 48 km (30 miles)

---

Example Sentences

As president of Bedford's Star Rowing Club, White, 60, has responsibility for crews training and racing on the River Great Ouse.

From BBC • Jan. 28, 2026

"Essentially Anglian Water are using the River Great Ouse as a sewage outlet – and it's not acceptable," he says.

From BBC • Jan. 28, 2026

Ant Crocker, 34, was paddleboarding at Cardington Lock on the River Great Ouse, near Bedford, when the ring slipped off his finger.

From BBC • Jul. 31, 2025

River catchments that are experiencing flooding on Monday morning include the River Axe in Devon, the Ouzel in Buckinghamshire and the Great Ouse in Cambridgeshire.

From BBC • Sep. 30, 2024

A racecourse is situated in the bend of the Ouse to the south of the town, and meetings are held here in August.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 8 "Hudson River" to "Hurstmonceaux" by Various