Definition

1. Noun:
   • A U-shaped wooden frame: A wooden framework bent into a U-shape; its upper ends are attached to a horizontal yoke, and the loop goes around the neck of an ox to harness it to a plow or cart.
   • A U-shaped bend in a river: A pronounced, often horseshoe-like, meander or curve in the course of a stream or river.
   • The land inside such a bend: The piece of land enclosed by an oxbow bend in a river, which may become cut off to form an oxbow lake.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Harness):

  • The farmer replaced the worn oxbow on the yoke.
  • The oxbow is a key component of traditional animal-drawn ploughs.

• Noun (River Feature):

  • The river's course is marked by a dramatic oxbow.
  • From the air, you can clearly see the oxbow in the meandering stream.

• Noun (Landform):

  • The fertile oxbow is ideal for farming.
  • Over time, the river changed course, isolating the oxbow.

Advanced Usage

• "Oxbow lake": A crescent-shaped lake formed when a meander (an oxbow) of a river is cut off from the main channel, creating a free-standing body of water.
  • The old river channel is now a serene oxbow lake, popular for fishing.

Variants and Related Words

• Oxbow lake (n): As defined above, a specific landform resulting from an oxbow bend.
• Meander (n): A broad, looping bend in a river or stream, of which an oxbow is a pronounced type.

Synonyms

• For the harness: U-shaped frame, bow.
• For the river feature: Meander, bend, loop, horseshoe bend.

Related Idioms

• No common idioms are directly based on the word "oxbow." It is primarily a technical term in geography and agriculture.

Noun

1. a wooden framework bent in the shape of a U; its upper ends are attached to the horizontal yoke and the loop goes around the neck of an ox
2. a U-shaped curve in a stream
3. the land inside an oxbow bend in a river