tributary

 
Pronunciation: /ˈtrɪbjʊt(ə)ri/

noun (plural tributaries)

  • 1a river or stream flowing into a larger river or lake: the Illinois River, a tributary of the Mississippi
  • 2 historical a person or state that pays tribute to another state or ruler: tributaries of the Ottoman Empire

Origin:

late Middle English (in tributary (sense 2)): from Latin tributarius, from tributum (see tribute). tributary (sense 1) dates from the early 19th century

Spelling help

The ending of tributary is spelled -ary.