fish river
fish river Lexical Profile
• noun
The longest river in Namibia, southern Africa, known for flowing intermittently and carving the spectacular Fish River Canyon, the largest canyon in Africa.
"Every winter, hundreds of tourists travel to Namibia to complete a challenging multi-day hike along the dry bed of the Fish River."
South African A major river in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa (often called the Great Fish River), which served as a historically significant and heavily contested border during the Cape Frontier Wars.
"The fort was established along the banks of the Fish River to secure the colonial frontier in the nineteenth century."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The name is a literal descriptive term applied by various indigenous peoples and colonial settlers to denote watercourses with an abundance of fish. The Namibian river's name is a translation of the indigenous Nama name 'Visrivier' (Afrikaans) or '#Oub' (Nama).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.