Question

tributary The entire expedition had perished of fever attempting to reach the source of one of the Amazon's great tributaries. ˈtrɪbjəˌtɛri

Accepted Answer

A stream flowing into a larger stream or a lake. A tributary was originally a person or state that owed tribute to a more powerful person or state. Ancient China, for instance, had dozens of tributary states, and the emperor would receive elephants from Siam or young girls from Korea as tribute. Just as a smaller power gave some of its wealth to a larger power, a small river contributes its waters to a larger one. A tributary can be a tiny stream, but some are immense rivers. The Missouri River, for example, could be called a tributary to the Mississippi, even though it's about 2,500 miles long and receives hundreds of tributaries itself.

word	tributary
definition	A stream flowing into a larger stream or a lake.
eg_sentence	The entire expedition had perished of fever attempting to reach the source of one of the Amazon's great tributaries.
explanation	A tributary was originally a person or state that owed tribute to a more powerful person or state. Ancient China, for instance, had dozens of tributary states, and the emperor would receive elephants from Siam or young girls from Korea as tribute. Just as a smaller power gave some of its wealth to a larger power, a small river contributes its waters to a larger one. A tributary can be a tiny stream, but some are immense rivers. The Missouri River, for example, could be called a tributary to the Mississippi, even though it's about 2,500 miles long and receives hundreds of tributaries itself.
IPA	ˈtrɪbjəˌtɛri

Tributary Larger Stream Person Flowing Lake Entire Expedition