riparian

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 21, 2007 is: riparian • \ruh-PAIR-ee-un\ • adjective : relating to or living or located on the bank of a natural watercourse (as a river) or sometimes of a lake or a tidewater Examples: Residents of the riparian community learned to brace themselves for a flood whenever torrential rain was forecast. Did you know? "Riparian" came to English from the same source that gave us "river" -- the Latin "riparius," a noun deriving from "ripa," meaning "bank" or "shore." First appearing in English in the 19th century, "riparian" refers to things that exist alongside a river (such as riparian wetlands, habitats, trees, etc.). Some river communities have laws called "riparian rights," referring to the rights of those owning land along a river to have access to the waterway. Note the distinction of this word from "littoral," which usually refers to things that occur along the shore of a sea or ocean. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.