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Definition of fly river
fly river
fly river Lexical Profile
CEFR
C1
Grade
8
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A major river on the island of New Guinea, flowing predominantly through Papua New Guinea and forming a small portion of the international border with West Papua, Indonesia. It is the largest river in Oceania by volume of discharge.
Example
"The Fly River supports incredibly diverse aquatic ecosystems and serves as a vital transportation route for local communities in Papua New Guinea."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Named by the British naval officer Francis Blackwood in 1842 after his ship, the HMS Fly, which he used to explore the river's estuary.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Fly river. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 15, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/fly river