a natural stream of water of fairly large size flowing in a definite course or channel or series of diverging and converging channels.

a similar stream of something other than water

a river of lava; a river of ice.

any abundant stream or copious flow; outpouring

rivers of tears; rivers of words.

( initial capital letter ) Astronomy . the constellation Eridanus.

Printing . a vertical channel of white space resulting from the alignment in several lines of spaces between words. ?

sell down the river

to betray; desert; mislead

to sell one's friends down the river.

up the river

Slang .

to prison

to be sent up the river for a bank robbery.

in prison

Thirty years up the river had made him a stranger to society.

noun

beck , branch , brook , course , creek , estuary , rill , rivulet , run , runnel , stream , tributary , watercoursenotes:a stream is smaller than a river , a creek is smaller than a stream but larger than a brook ; stream , and rivulet are applied interchangeably to any small river , effluent