What does "winterbourne" mean?
A stream that only flows in winter or after wet weather, particularly in an area rich in limestone.
Winterbourne
/ˈwɪntəbɔːn/ name, noun
name, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A stream that only flows in winter or after wet weather, particularly in an area rich in limestone.
- Grammar: winterbourne is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: river.
- Usage evidence: [F]rom the graveyard itself burst up one of those noble springs known as winter-bournes in the chalk ranges, which, awakened in autumn from the abysses to which it had shrunk during the summer's drought, was hurrying down upon its six months' course, a broad sheet of oily silver, over a temporary channel of smooth green sward.
How to use "winterbourne"
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Meaning check
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Source and review context
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Before you rely on this definition
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
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Check whether "winterbourne" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
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Final meaning check
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 A stream that only flows in winter or after wet weather, particularly in an area rich in limestone. British
"[F]rom the graveyard itself burst up one of those noble springs known as winter-bournes in the chalk ranges, which, awakened in autumn from the abysses to which it had shrunk during the summer's drought, was hurrying down upon its six months' course, a broad sheet of oily silver, over a temporary channel of smooth green sward."
Proper Noun
- 1 A place in England:; A small village and civil parish in West Berkshire district, Berkshire (OS grid ref SU4572).
- 2 A place in England:; A large village and civil parish in South Gloucestershire district, Gloucestershire, England (OS grid ref ST6580).
- 3 A place in England:; A hamlet in Boughton under Blean parish, Swale district, Kent (OS grid ref TR0657).
- 4 A place in England:; A civil parish north-east of Salisbury, Wiltshire.
- 5 A community in Woolwich township, Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A surname from Old English.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"[F]rom the graveyard itself burst up one of those noble springs known as winter-bournes in the chalk ranges, which, awakened in autumn from the abysses to which it had shrunk during the summer's drought, was hurrying down upon its six months' course, a broad sheet of oily silver, over a temporary channel of smooth green sward."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "winterbourne"?
Common synonyms include: river.
How do you use "winterbourne" in a sentence?
[F]rom the graveyard itself burst up one of those noble springs known as winter-bournes in the chalk ranges, which, awakened in autumn from the abysses to which it had shrunk during the summer's drought, was hurrying down upon its six months' course, a broad sheet of oily silver, over a temporary channel of smooth green sward.
How do you pronounce "winterbourne"?
Pronounced /ˈwɪntəbɔːn/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Old English Winterburna < winter + burna (“stream”), 'the stream that flows in winter'.
Etymology 2
From winter + bourne (“seasonal brook or stream”), partly also from the placenames Winterborne, Winterbourne, which are derived from Old English winterburna (“stream that is full in winter”), from winter (from Proto-Germanic *wintruz, further etymology uncertain) + burna (“stream”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrewh₁- (“to boil; to brew”)). The Old English word appears to have survived only in placenames.