mainstem

M3A1I1N1S1T1E1M3

noun

The principal watercourse of a river that has multiple streams

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Meanings

nounmainstem (plural mainstems)

plural mainstems

  1. The principal watercourse of a river that has multiple streams

    Piramutaba (Brachyplatystoma vaillantii) make up a second large export fishery and are found almost exclusively in the Amazon River mainstem, whitewater tributaries, and the estuary [30 –32 ].

    2015 July 9, “Diverse Early Life-History Strategies in Migratory Amazonian Catfish: Implications for Conservation and Management”, in PLOS ONE, →DOI

Origin

From main + stem.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

mainstem. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mainstem

MLA

“mainstem.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mainstem. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mainstem,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mainstem.

Source: mainstem on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.