floodplain

UK /ˈflʌdˌpleɪn/ US /ˈflʌdˌpleɪn/ Syllables: flood-plain

Pronunciation

Noun B1 Intermediate Technical

The flat area of land next to a river that is naturally covered with water when the river overflows.

A floodplain is the flat land beside a river that floods when the river rises. When heavy rain or melting snow fills the river, the water spills over its banks and spreads across this land. Each flood leaves behind a thin layer of mud, sand and clay, so floodplain soil is often very fertile. That is why many farms and towns grew on floodplains, and also why building there can be risky. You will meet the word in geography lessons, in news reports about floods and on maps that show flood risk. It is written as one word or as two, and floodplain and flood plain mean the same thing.

"Building homes on a floodplain increases the risk of serious damage during heavy rain."

Meanings

The flat area of land next to a river that is naturally covered with water when the river overflows. (geography)

Example sentences

"The farm sits on a wide floodplain."

Level B1
"Heavy rain turned the floodplain into a lake."

Level B1
"Rich soil makes the floodplain good farmland."

Level B2
"The town has strict rules about building on the floodplain."

Level B2

Look-alikes and common mistakes

delta : A delta is where a river splits and reaches the sea. A floodplain lies beside the river along its course.
bottomland : Bottomland is a close synonym for low, flat land beside a river.
alluvial plain : Alluvial plain is another name for the same kind of land.

Word family and forms

Forms: floodplains

flood plain flood plain

Word partners

Words and phrases that often go with "floodplain".

river floodplain
on the floodplain
fertile floodplain
wide floodplain
floodplain map
flood risk

Origin

Floodplain is a compound of flood and plain. A plain is a large stretch of flat land, and a flood is an overflow of water, so the name says what it is: a plain that floods. It is written as one word or as two, flood plain.

Checked against: Wiktionary, the free dictionary, Dictionary.com.

Usage notes

Despite the flood risk, floodplains are often fertile and heavily farmed because of the rich soil left behind by past flooding.

How to remember it

Say it as two small words: a plain that floods.

Test yourself

Which word fits the gap? "The farm sits on a wide _____."

Answer: floodplain

In your own words, what does "floodplain" mean?