Meanings
plural tributaries
- geographyA natural water stream that flows into a larger river or other body of water.
Synonyms: affluent, influent · Antonyms: distributary
- anatomyA vein which drains into another vein.
The great saphenous vein is a tributary of the femoral vein.
- A nation, state, or other entity that pays tribute.
An earneſt Coniuration from the King, / As England was his faithfull Tributary
c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii], page 259, column 2
- not comparableRelated to the paying of tribute.
- not comparableSubordinate; inferior.
to grace his tributary gods
Comus
1634 October 9 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), [John Milton], edited by H[enry] Lawes, A Maske Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634: […] [Comus], London: […] [Augustine Matthews] for Hvmphrey Robinson, […], published 1637, →OCLC; reprinted as Comus: […] (Dodd, Mead & Company’s Facsimile Reprints of Rare Books; Literature Series; no. I), New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1903, →OCLC - not comparableYielding supplies of any kind; serving to form or make up, a greater object of the same kind, as a part, branch, etc.; contributing.
The Ohio has many tributary streams, and is itself tributary to the Mississippi.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA natural water stream that flows into a larger river or other body of water.
More synonyms by meaning
adjective(of a stream) flowing into a larger stream
adjectivepaying tribute
adjectivetending to bring about; being partly responsible for
nouna branch that flows into the main stream
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latintribūtārius
- Middle Englishtributarie“paying tribute”
- Englishtributary
PIE word *tréyes From Middle English tributarie (“paying tribute”), from Latin tribūtārius, from tribūtum (“tribute”).
More words from Middle English, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic رَافِد
- رَافِد (rāfid)stream which flows into a larger one
Bulgarian при́ток
- при́ток (prítok)stream which flows into a larger one
Catalan afluent
- afluentstream which flows into a larger one
Chinese Mandarin 支流, 進貢國 /进贡国
- 支流 (zhīliú)stream which flows into a larger one
- 進貢國 /进贡国 (jìngòngguó)nation, state, etc. that pays tribute
- 附庸國 /附庸国 (fùyōngguó)nation, state, etc. that pays tribute
- 屬國 /属国 (shǔguó)nation, state, etc. that pays tribute
- 納貢國 /纳贡国 (nàgòngguó)nation, state, etc. that pays tribute
Czech přítok, přítok
- přítokstream which flows into a larger one
- přítoka vein which drains into another vein
Danish biflod
- biflodstream which flows into a larger one
Dutch zijrivier, vazalstaat
- zijrivierstream which flows into a larger one
- vazalstaatnation, state, etc. that pays tribute
Esperanto alfluanto
- alfluantostream which flows into a larger one
Finnish sivujoki, vasallivaltio
- sivujokistream which flows into a larger one
- vasallivaltionation, state, etc. that pays tribute
- suojelu-related to the paying of tribute
- tukevayielding supplies of any kind
- avustavayielding supplies of any kind
- sivu-yielding supplies of any kind
French affluent
- affluentstream which flows into a larger one
German Nebenfluss, Zufluss
- Nebenflussstream which flows into a larger one
- Zuflussstream which flows into a larger one
Greek παραπόταμος
- παραπόταμος (parapótamos)stream which flows into a larger one
Hebrew יוּבַל
- יוּבַל (yuvál)stream which flows into a larger one
Icelandic þverá, aðrennslisá
- þverástream which flows into a larger one
- aðrennslisástream which flows into a larger one
Irish fo-abhainn, craobh-abhainn
- fo-abhainnstream which flows into a larger one
- craobh-abhainnstream which flows into a larger one
Italian affluente, tributario
- affluentestream which flows into a larger one
- tributariostream which flows into a larger one
- immissariostream which flows into a larger one
- vassallonation, state, etc. that pays tribute
- tributariorelated to the paying of tribute
Japanese 支流, 属国
- 支流 (shiryū)stream which flows into a larger one
- 属国 (zokkoku)nation, state, etc. that pays tribute
Korean 지류
- 지류 (jiryu)stream which flows into a larger one
Latin vēna affluēns
- vēna affluēnsa vein which drains into another vein
Latvian ieteka
- ietekastream which flows into a larger one
Māori kautawa
- kautawastream which flows into a larger one
Norwegian Bokmål bielv, sideelv
- bielvstream which flows into a larger one
- sideelvstream which flows into a larger one
Polish dopływ
- dopływstream which flows into a larger one
Portuguese afluente
- afluentestream which flows into a larger one
Romanian afluent, tributar
- afluentstream which flows into a larger one
- tributarnation, state, etc. that pays tribute
Russian прито́к, да́нник
- прито́к (pritók)stream which flows into a larger one
- да́нник (dánnik)nation, state, etc. that pays tribute
Slovak prítok
- prítokstream which flows into a larger one
Spanish afluente, tributario
- afluentestream which flows into a larger one
- tributarionation, state, etc. that pays tribute
- tributariorelated to the paying of tribute
- contribuyenteyielding supplies of any kind
Swedish biflod
- biflodstream which flows into a larger one
Thai แคว
- แคว (kwɛɛ)stream which flows into a larger one
Ukrainian прито́ка
- прито́ка (prytóka)stream which flows into a larger one
Vietnamese phụ lưu
- phụ lưustream which flows into a larger one
Cite this entry
tributary. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tributary
“tributary.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tributary. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tributary,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tributary.
Source: tributary on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.