Definition

Proper noun A major headstream (tributary) of the Nile River. It originates at Lake Tana in Ethiopia and flows northwest to meet the White Nile at Khartoum, Sudan. Their confluence forms the main Nile River.

Usage

The term "Blue Nile" is used as a proper noun to name this specific river. It is typically preceded by the definite article "the." * The Blue Nile provides most of the Nile's water and fertile silt. * The dam was constructed on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia. * The Blue Nile and the White Nile converge in Khartoum.

Advanced Usage

• "The Blue Nile's source": Refers to the river's point of origin, Lake Tana.
  • Explorers long searched for the Blue Nile's source.
• "Blue Nile waters" / "The waters of the Blue Nile": A descriptive way to refer to the river itself or its flow.
  • The Blue Nile waters are crucial for agriculture downstream.

Variants and Related Words

• The Nile: The major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa, formed by the confluence of the Blue Nile and White Nile.
• The White Nile: The other major headstream of the Nile, which originates in the Great Lakes region of central Africa.
• Headstream: A stream that is a source of a river.

Synonyms

• Tributary (specifically, a primary or major tributary in this context).
• Source river (of the Nile).

Note: There are no direct idioms or phrasal verbs associated with this proper noun, as it is a geographical name.

Noun

1. a headstream of the Nile; joins the White Nile at Khartoum to form the Nile