Listed here are terms related to water bodies such as lakes, rivers, and oceans.
Bank
Rivers have two sides – the right and left banks.
Bay
A wide opening or bend in the land into which water flows. See also Gulf.
Bed
The land over which a river or stream flows.
Brook
Also known as a creek, a larger stream.
Gulf
A long and narrow opening in the land into which water flows. Related to Bay.
Island
A piece of land with water all around it.
Lake
A large indentation in the land where water forms. A large body of water surrounded by land.
Mouth
The place where a river flows into another body of water.
Peninsula
A piece of land with water on three sides. The word peninsula is derived from Latin and means almost an island. The narrow neck of land that joins a peninsula to the mainland is called an isthmus.
Pond
A small hollow in the land where water forms. Smaller than a lake, ponds are bodies of standing water that can either be natural or man-made.
Rapids
Places in a river where the water rushes rapidly down a steep slope. The water often appears foam caused by the turbulence of the water as it hits rocks and debris during its flow.
Rill
Small thread-like stream.
Shore
The land near a large body of water is called a shore.
Source
The location of the beginning of a river.
Spring
Water flowing out of the ground. From springs flow small streams called rills, brooks, or creeks.
Strait
A narrow strip of water joining two larger bodies of water.
Tributary
A small stream of water flowing into a larger one. Also called branches of a river.
Waterfall
The place in a river where the water falls over a ledge or edge. A cataract is a large and powerful waterfall.
