rivulet

noun

riv·​u·​let ˈri-vyə-lət How to pronounce rivulet (audio)
-və-
: a small stream

Examples of rivulet in a Sentence

small rivulets trickled down the side of the cliff
Recent Examples on the Web For those left behind, grief and uncertainty swirl together, muddy rivulets in a vast tributary. Sabra Ayres, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2024 Kevin’s labors can be measured in rivulets of sweat. Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2023 Little rivulets of piano trickle through the melody, wearing out the paint. Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2023 Pulpy yet precise, those red strokes merge form and hue as surely as any of Louis’s rivulets of poured color. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 13 Oct. 2023 The remains of its Hellenistic and Roman buildings lay amid rivulets and lush vegetation. Charlotte Higgins, Travel + Leisure, 9 Oct. 2023 The tide had receded, carving rivulets in the sand. Vivian Nereim Andrea Dicenzo, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2023 Water beat dirt into mud and mud into rivulets that curled and swelled around encampments. Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2023 Near the site, fissures in the rock reveal places where hot water has burbled to the surface, carrying minerals that hardened into rivulets of crystal. Gregory Barber, WIRED, 19 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rivulet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Italian rivoletto, diminutive of rivolo, from Latin rivulus, diminutive of rivus stream — more at run

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rivulet was in 1587

Dictionary Entries Near rivulet

Cite this Entry

“Rivulet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rivulet. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rivulet

noun
riv·​u·​let ˈriv-(y)ə-lət How to pronounce rivulet (audio)
: a small stream

More from Merriam-Webster on rivulet

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