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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

confluence en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ˈkɒn.flu.əns/ (Canada, dialectal) of the US
  • /ˈkɑnˌflu.əns/ (Atlantic-Canada, General-American)
  • /ˈkɒn.flu.əns/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /kənˈflu.əns/ (Atlantic-Canada, General-American)
  • (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From late Middle English confluence, from Late Latin cōnfluentia (“a flowing together, conflux”), from cōnfluēns (present participle of cōnfluō (“to flow or run together”)) + -ia (nominal suffix).

Meanings

  1. The act of combining that occurs where two rivers meet.
    • The confluence of the rivers produced a great rush of water.
  2. The act of combining that occurs where two rivers meet. ▸ The place where two rivers, streams, or other continuously flowing bodies of water meet and become one, especially where a tributary joins a river.
    • We encountered an abandoned boat at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.
    • There has been much controversy especially as to the ownership of the large triangular delta at the confluence of the Amur and Ussuri Rivers, known as the Khabarovsk Delta, or Heihsiatzu [translating 黑瞎子 (Hēixiāzi)] Island in Chinese. 1937 July, “An Outline of the Manchoukuo-Soviet Border Controversy”, in Contemporary Manchuria: A Bi-Monthly Magazine, volume 1, number 2, Dairen: South Manchuria Railway Company, →OCLC, page 31:
  3. The act of combining that occurs where two rivers meet. ▸ The stream or body formed by the junction of two or more streams; a combined flood.
  4. A convergence or combination of forces, people, or things.
    • The confluence of our skills resulted in a successful home renovation project.
    • The political turmoil was the result of a confluence of factors, and the corollary of years of misrule, as evidenced by a low home ownership rate incommensurate with the economic growth.
    • The South was the nadir of the American medical experience, visited by a deadly triple confluence—the pathogens of North America, Europe, and Africa. 2008, Harriet A. Washington, “Southern Discomfort”, in Medical Apartheid, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, page 41:
  5. The proportion of cells, in a culture medium, that adhere to each other.
  6. (in rewriting systems) A property describing which terms can be rewritten with other, equivalent terms.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
confluences Number=Plur lexicographic
confluency alternative lexicographic

Antonyms

branch · fork

Deriveds

subconfluence · overconfluence · preconfluence · nonconfluence · postconfluence · hyperconfluence

Relateds

affluence · confluent · refluence · effluence · confluently · influence

Synonyms

watersmeet · conflux · coinfluence

Translations (63)

sk sútok (point where two rivers or streams meet) · pt confluência (convergence or combination) · bn বেণি (point where two rivers or streams meet) · ga suaithneamh (point where two rivers or streams meet) · kw kemper (point where two rivers or streams meet) · ro confluență (point where two rivers or streams meet) · cy aber (point where two rivers or streams meet) · sv sammanflöde (point where two rivers or streams meet) · mi pūrua (point where two rivers or streams meet) · fr confluence (point where two rivers or streams meet) · fr confluent (point where two rivers or streams meet) · wa maxhe (point where two rivers or streams meet) · gl confluencia (point where two rivers or streams meet) · kw kemper (convergence or combination) · he מפגש נהרות (point where two rivers or streams meet) · mi tūtakitanga (convergence or combination) · bg сливане (point where two rivers or streams meet) · rup measticã (point where two rivers or streams meet) · ml സംഗമം (point where two rivers or streams meet) · la confluens (point where two rivers or streams meet) · fi yhdistäminen (convergence or combination) · fr confluent (convergence or combination) · mi pūruatanga pūau (point where two rivers or streams meet) · ru стече́ние (convergence or combination) · ta ஆற்றுச்சந்தி (point where two rivers or streams meet) · mi komititanga (point where two rivers or streams meet) · et liitumiskoht (point where two rivers or streams meet) · gv co-strooan (point where two rivers or streams meet) · nn samløp (point where two rivers or streams meet) · tcy kudala (kudala) (point where two rivers or streams meet) · gl mestas (point where two rivers or streams meet) · nb samløp (point where two rivers or streams meet) · ne दोभान (point where two rivers or streams meet) · ca confluència (point where two rivers or streams meet) · pl zbieg (point where two rivers or streams meet) · ja 合流点 (point where two rivers or streams meet) · pl konfluencja (point where two rivers or streams meet) · ms kuala (point where two rivers or streams meet) · hu egyesítés (convergence or combination) · sv konfluens (convergence or combination) · ru слия́ние (point where two rivers or streams meet) · mi pūtahitanga (point where two rivers or streams meet) · bdr boa' soang (point where two rivers or streams meet) · sv konfluens (point where two rivers or streams meet) · ru комбинация (convergence or combination) · mel kala (point where two rivers or streams meet) · bg вливане (point where two rivers or streams meet) · no konfluens (convergence or combination) · ill minanga (point where two rivers or streams meet) · es confluencia (point where two rivers or streams meet) · cy cydlifiad (point where two rivers or streams meet) · bg стича́не (convergence or combination) · eo kunfluejo (point where two rivers or streams meet) · gu સંગમ (point where two rivers or streams meet) · de Zusammenfluss (point where two rivers or streams meet) · gu વેણી (point where two rivers or streams meet) · bn সঙ্গম (point where two rivers or streams meet) · hu torkolat (point where two rivers or streams meet) · fi yhtymäkohta (point where two rivers or streams meet) · fi yhdistyminen (convergence or combination) · fr convergence (convergence or combination) · pt confluência (point where two rivers or streams meet) · cs soutok (point where two rivers or streams meet)

confluence en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • /ˈkɒn.flu.əns/ (Canada, dialectal) of the US
  • /ˈkɑnˌflu.əns/ (Atlantic-Canada, General-American)
  • /ˈkɒn.flu.əns/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /kənˈflu.əns/ (Atlantic-Canada, General-American)
  • (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From late Middle English confluence, from Late Latin cōnfluentia (“a flowing together, conflux”), from cōnfluēns (present participle of cōnfluō (“to flow or run together”)) + -ia (nominal suffix).

Meanings

  1. (intransitive, transitive) To join together into one stream.
    • I added a third manhole to my model so you can see how a junction might look. It just provides a nice way to confluence two streams into one pipe, which is an important job in a sewer system since a sewershed all has to flow to one place. 2025 February 4, Grady Hilhouse, “What’s Inside a Manhole?” (5:59 from the start), in Practical Engineering:
    • CHN 082 flows for approximately 304.8 meters (1,000 feet) before confluencing with the North Bald Eagle Creek. 1996 December, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, US Route 220 Transportation Improvements Project, Bald Eagle Village to I-80, Blair County, Centre County: Environmental Impact Statement, volume 3, page 41:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
confluenced Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
confluenced Tense=Past lexicographic
confluences Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
confluencing Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
confluency alternative lexicographic