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Definition of columbia river
columbia river
columbia river Lexical Profile
CEFR
B2
Grade
5
Tier
2
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
North American The largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America, rising in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flowing through the US state of Washington, forming much of the border between Washington and Oregon, and emptying into the Pacific Ocean.
Example
"The Lewis and Clark Expedition traveled down the Columbia River during the final leg of their historic journey to the Pacific coast."
Word Origin & Etymology
Named in 1792 by American sea captain Robert Gray after his ship, the Columbia Rediviva. The ship itself was named in honor of Christopher Columbus. The word 'river' stems from Anglo-Norman 'rivere' and Latin 'riparia'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Columbia river. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/columbia river