(an English corporation), whose service covers the main river and several of its principal tributaries. tributary (plural tributaries) A natural water stream that flows into a larger river or other body of water. Word of the day 0 The collection of Brazil nuts along the Amazon and its tributaries is essentially a poor man's industry, requiring no other plant than a boat. Tributaries: a stream that flows into a larger body of water. A stream that flows into a larger stream or other body of water. Dictionary entry overview: What does tributary mean? All Free. A nation, state, or other entity that pays tribute . 6 synonyms of tributaries from the Merriam-Webster Thesaurus, plus 13 related words, definitions, and antonyms. Find another word for tributaries. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. The Simple English Wiktionary has a definition for: tributary . tributaries definition in English dictionary, tributaries meaning, synonyms, see also 'tributarily',tribute',triturable',tribunate'. The definition of a tributary is a steam that flows into a larger body of water. adj. Definition of tributary written for English Language Learners from the Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary with audio pronunciations, usage examples, and count/noncount noun labels. tributary - WordReference English dictionary, questions, discussion and forums. A ruler or nation that pays tribute. Enrich your vocabulary with the English Definition dictionary The opposite of a tributary is a distributary. • TRIBUTARY (adjective) The adjective TRIBUTARY … A distributary is a river that branches off from the main flow of water, for example in a river delta . 1. a branch that flows into the main stream Familiarity information: TRIBUTARY used as a noun is very rare. What does tributary mean? 1. tributary (sense 1) dates from the early 19th century. Late Middle English (in tributary (sense 2)): from Latin tributarius, from tributum (see tribute). 2. A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. tributary - noun 1. a stream or river which flows into a larger river The Mole is one of the tributaries of the Thames. ies 1. • TRIBUTARY (noun) The noun TRIBUTARY has 1 sense:.