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Definition of mississippi river
mississippi river
mississippi river Lexical Profile
CEFR
B1
Grade
4
Tier
2
Usage
Top 10k
• noun
1
American A major river in North America that flows south from Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, forming the primary drainage system of the contiguous United States.
Example
"During the 19th century, steamboats navigating the Mississippi River played a critical role in the economic and cultural development of the American Midwest."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The name 'Mississippi' is derived from the Algonquian (specifically Ojibwe) word 'misi-ziibi', which translates to 'Great River'. It was historically combined with the English word 'river' by European mapmakers and settlers.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Mississippi river. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 15, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/mississippi river