: 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
To battle bodies of water (perhaps the LA river will overflow at some point), the electric G 580 can ford through up to 33.5 inches (850 mm) of water.
—Roberto Baldwin, Ars Technica, 24 Apr. 2024
To ford the region's many rivers, creeks and bayous, travelers needed riverbeds with hard surfaces.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 15 July 2024
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
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 23 Dec. 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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