Definition

Noun: 1. A branch of a river made by water flowing from the main stream only when the water level is high: A side channel or anabranch, often forming a loop, that carries water from a river during floods or high-water periods but may be dry at other times. 2. A stagnant pool of water in the bed of a stream that flows intermittently: A waterhole or a pool that remains in the channel of a creek or river after the main flow has ceased, often becoming isolated and stagnant.

Usage Examples

• As a geographical feature:
  • After the heavy rains, the river overflowed into a billabong that was usually dry.
  • The explorers followed the main channel, avoiding the confusing network of billabongs.
• As a stagnant waterhole:
  • In the dry season, kangaroos gathered at the last remaining billabong for water.
  • The old billabong was covered with green algae.

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily used in Australian English and is integral to descriptions of the Australian landscape, especially in the outback.
• It often carries connotations of isolation, ephemerality, and the cycle of drought and flood characteristic of the Australian interior.

Variants and Related Words

• Waterhole (n): A more general term for a natural depression where water collects.
• Anabranch (n): A technical geographical term for a stream that leaves a river and re-enters it further downstream.
• Oxbow lake (n): A specific type of billabong formed when a meander is cut off from the main river.

Synonyms

• Backwater
• Lagoon (in some contexts)
• Stagnant pool

Related Idioms and Cultural References

• "Waltzing Matilda": The word is famously used in Australia's unofficial national anthem, "Waltzing Matilda" ("Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong..."), which has cemented its place in Australian culture and lexicon. The song evokes the image of a transient worker resting by a secluded waterhole.

Noun

1. a branch of a river made by water flowing from the main stream only when the water level is high
2. a stagnant pool of water in the bed of a stream that flows intermittently