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prettygoodwordanabranch (an-uh-BRANCH) - n., a stream that branches off from the main river and rejoins it downstream.
Or, sometimes, disappears into the soil before it can rejoin. Rivers that do this a lot are called anabranching, though braided channels are apparently classified differently. The result of an anabranch is a river island. Coined in the 1830s by geologists from Ancient Greek root ana-, here in the sense of on/upon + English branch, divided part of something, ultimately from Late Latin branca, paw/foot (possibly from Gaulish roots).
---L.
Or, sometimes, disappears into the soil before it can rejoin. Rivers that do this a lot are called anabranching, though braided channels are apparently classified differently. The result of an anabranch is a river island. Coined in the 1830s by geologists from Ancient Greek root ana-, here in the sense of on/upon + English branch, divided part of something, ultimately from Late Latin branca, paw/foot (possibly from Gaulish roots).
---L.
