riverbed

American  

[riv-er-bed] / ˈrɪv ərˌbɛd /

noun

1. the channel in which a river flows or formerly flowed.

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Etymology

Origin of riverbed

First recorded in 1825–35; river ¹ + bed

Example Sentences

She collects the red earth during nature walks around the San Gabriel Mountains area — whether the riverbed of the Arroyo Seco, or the foothills of Claremont, her hometown.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026

The vehicle became disabled along the riverbed, when the driver either hit something or couldn’t find an escape route, Meza said.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2026

NASA's Perseverance rover has collected samples from Jezero Crater, an ancient Martian riverbed, and they may contain evidence of very early life.

From Science Daily • Jan. 6, 2026

The Eisbach wave on a side branch of the Isar River had been a landmark in the Bavarian city since the 1980s but it vanished in October after annual cleanup work along the riverbed.

From Barron's • Dec. 28, 2025

A mass that’s gotta be the army, marching its way forward, so far away I can only tell it’s them at all cuz it looks like dark water flowing into a dry riverbed.

From "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness