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arroyo

stream

noun ah-RROH-yoh Rare

Origin: from Latin arrugia (mine gallery), a word of pre-Roman Hispanic origin

Also means

brook

Usage Note

Arroyo is a small stream or brook, smaller than a río. In arid regions of Latin America (and the US Southwest) it can refer to a dry gully that floods seasonally — the source of the English 'arroyo'. The diminutive arroyuelo names an even smaller trickle.

Examples

"Los niños jugaban en el arroyo del parque."

Natural Translation

The children played in the park stream.

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