: a shallow part of a body of water that may be crossed by wading
forded; fording; fords
: to cross (a body of water) by wading
Synonyms
Examples of ford in a Sentence
Noun
didn't attempt getting the horses across the stream until we had reached the ford
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Verb
Other stats include several suspension options, more than a foot of ground clearance, the ability to ford 3 feet of water and up to 35-inch tires.
—Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 25 Oct. 2024
Grab your wagons and oxen, and get ready to ford a river: A movie adaptation of the popular grade school computer game Oregon Trail is in development at Apple.
—Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Oct. 2024
These massive infrastructure projects, carved through mountain ranges and fording mighty rivers, transformed societies in ways barely imaginable by even their most fervent financial backers.
—Sandy Carter, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024
Another thing to consider is bringing a pair of sandals to ford the river.
—Erinne Magee, Travel + Leisure, 13 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ford
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old Norse fjǫrthr fjord, Latin portus port, Old English faran to go — more at fare
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Verb
1614, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of ford was
before the 12th century
Dictionary Entries Near ford
Cite this Entry
“Ford.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ford. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
Biographical Definition
Ford
2 of 5biographical name (2)
Gerald R(udolph) 1913–2006 American politician; vice president of the U.S. (1973–74); 38th president of the U.S. (1974–77)
Ford
3 of 5biographical name (3)
Henry 1863–1947 American automobile manufacturer
Ford
4 of 5biographical name (4)
John 1586–?1639 English dramatist
Ford
5 of 5biographical name (5)
John 1895–1973 originally John Martin Feeney American film director
More from Merriam-Webster on ford
Nglish: Translation of ford for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of ford for Arabic Speakers
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