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Definition of american river
american river
• noun
1
American A 30-mile-long river in northern California, United States, that flows from the Sierra Nevada mountain range to its confluence with the Sacramento River. It is historically significant as the site where gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill in 1848, an event that triggered the California Gold Rush.
• Nearby Words
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of American river. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/american-river