Adjacent Words

Tributary definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

TRIB'UTARY, a. [from tribute.] Paying tribute to another, either from compulsion, as an acknowledgment of submission, or to secure protection, or for the purpose of purchasing peace. The republic of Ragusa is tributary to the grand seignor. Many of the powers of Europe are tributary to the Barbary states.
1. Subject; subordinate.
He, to grace his tributary gods--
2. Paid in tribute.
No flatt'ry tunes these tributary lays.
3. Yielding supplies of any thing. The Ohio has many large tributary streams; and is itself tributary to the Mississippi.
TRIB'UTARY, n. One that pays tribute or a stated sum to a conquering power, for the purpose of securing peace and protection, or as an acknowledgment of submission, or for the purchase of security. What a reproach to nations that they should be the tributaries of Algiers!

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: (of a stream) flowing into a larger stream
2: paying tribute; "a tributary colony"
3: tending to bring about; being partly responsible for; "working conditions are not conducive to productivity"; "the seaport was a contributing factor in the growth of the city"; "a contributory factor" [syn: conducive, contributing, contributive, contributory, tributary] n
1: a branch that flows into the main stream [syn: feeder, tributary, confluent, affluent] [ant: distributary]

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Date: 14th century 1. paying tribute to another to acknowledge submission, to obtain protection, or to purchase peace ; subject 2. paid or owed as tribute <tributary gifts> 3. channeling material or supplies into something more inclusive ; contributory II. noun (plural -taries) Date: 14th century 1. a ruler or state that pays tribute to a conqueror 2. a stream feeding a larger stream or a lake

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & adj. --n. (pl. -ies) 1 a river or stream flowing into a larger river or lake. 2 hist. a person or State paying or subject to tribute. --adj. 1 (of a river etc.) that is a tributary. 2 hist. a paying tribute. b serving as tribute. Derivatives: tributarily adv. tributariness n. Etymology: ME f. L tributarius (as TRIBUTE)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Tributary Trib"u*ta*ry, a. [OE. tributaire, F. tributaire, L. tributarius. See Tribute.] 1. Paying tribute to another, either from compulsion, as an acknowledgment of submission, or to secure protection, or for the purpose of purchasing peace. [Julius] unto Rome made them tributary. --Chaucer. 2. Hence, subject; subordinate; inferior. He to grace his tributary gods. --Milton. 3. Paid in tribute. ``Tributary tears.'' --Shak. 4. Yielding supplies of any kind; serving to form or make up, a greater object of the same kind, as a part, branch, etc.; contributing; as, the Ohio has many tributary streams, and is itself tributary to the Mississippi.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Tributary Trib"u*ta*ry, n.; pl. Tributaries. 1. A ruler or state that pays tribute, or a stated sum, to a conquering power, for the purpose of securing peace and protection, or as an acknowledgment of submission, or for the purchase of security. 2. A stream or river flowing into a larger river or into a lake; an affluent.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(tributaries) A tributary is a stream or river that flows into a larger one. ...the Napo river, a tributary of the Amazon. N-COUNT: oft N n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Paying tribute, subject to tribute. 2. Subject, subordinate, inferior. 3. Paid in tribute. 4. Contributing.

Moby Thesaurus

accessory, affluent, bayou, beck, billabong, branch, brook, burn, client, collateral, confluent, confluent stream, conquered, creek, dendritic drainage pattern, dependent, effluent, feeder, feudal, feudatory, fork, inferior, kill, liege, minor, offshoot, prong, rill, rivulet, run, runlet, runnel, satellite, secondary, servile, streamlet, sub, subdued, subject, subjugated, subordinate, subservient, under, vanquished, vassal