noun / verb
ford
FORD/fɔːrd/
A shallow place where a river or stream can be crossed, or crossing there.
The hikers cross the stream at a shallow, rocky ford.
Etymology
Old English ford already named a shallow place where water could be crossed. The later verb ford makes the practical image explicit: crossing a body of water by walking on its bottom.
In context
he crossed the stream at the ford, and made his way up to a little copse
More examples
- We ford the creek where the water barely covers our boots.
- Heavy rain makes the ford too deep to use.
- The riders forded the river before sunset.
Forms
ford · fords · forded · fording
fordable adjective — Shallow enough to cross along the bottom.
Similar words
- crossing
- Names any place to cross, not necessarily through shallow water.
- wade
- Means walking through water, not necessarily crossing a stream.