2. A flood or overflowing of a stream caused by heavy rains
or melted snow; a sudden inundation.
[1913 Webster]
Cracked the sky, as ice in rivers When the freshet is at highest. --Longfellow. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
freshet — 1590s, stream flowing into the sea, from FRESH (Cf. fresh) (1) in a now obsolete sense of flood, stream of fresh water (1530s). O.E. had fersceta in the same sense. Meaning flood caused by rain or melting snow is from 1650s … Etymology dictionary
freshet — [fresh′it] n. [see FRESH1 & ET] 1. a stream or rush of fresh water flowing into the sea ☆ 2. a sudden overflowing of a stream because of melting snow or heavy rain … English World dictionary
freshet — noun /ˈfɹɛʃɪt/ a) A resulting from heavy rain or a spring thaw. Whereas heavy rain often causes a , a spring thaw event is generally a more incremental process, depending upon local climate and . The term freshet is most commonly used to describe … Wiktionary
Freshet — A freshet can refer to one of two things:* A flood resulting from heavy rain or a spring thaw. Whereas heavy rain often causes a flash flood, a spring thaw event is generally a more incremental process, depending upon local climate and topography … Wikipedia
freshet — noun Date: 1596 1. archaic stream 1 2. a. a great rise or overflowing of a stream caused by heavy rains or melted snow b. a swelling quantity ; influx < summer brings a freshet of tourists > … New Collegiate Dictionary
freshet — 1) stream 2) a great rise or overflowing of a stream caused by heavy rains or melted snow 3) an area of fresh water at or near the mouth of a stream entering the sea … Dictionary of ichthyology
freshet — /fresh it/, n. 1. a freshwater stream flowing into the sea. 2. a sudden rise in the level of a stream, or a flood, caused by heavy rains or the rapid melting of snow and ice. [1590 1600; FRESH (n.) + ET] Syn. 2. See flood. * * * … Universalium
freshet — I (Roget s IV) n. Syn. overflow, deluge, surge; see flood 1 . II (Roget s Thesaurus II) noun An abundant, usually overwhelming flow or fall, as of a river or rain: alluvion, cataclysm, cataract, deluge, downpour, flood, inundation, Niagara,… … English dictionary for students
freshet — fresh·et || freʃɪt n. stream that flows into the sea; sudden rise in the water level of a river as a result of floods or heavy rains … English contemporary dictionary
freshet — [ frɛʃɪt] noun the flood of a river from heavy rain or melted snow. ↘a rush of fresh water flowing into the sea. Origin C16: prob. from OFr. freschete, dimin. of freis fresh … English new terms dictionary
