cauce
riverbed
noun KOW-seh Rare
Origin: from Latin calix, 'cup, water channel'
Also means
channel
Usage Note
Cauce refers to the natural bed of a river or stream, and by extension any channel that guides a flow. Figuratively, dar cauce a means to give an outlet or channel to something, as in dar cauce a las quejas ('to provide a channel for complaints'). Distinguish from canal, which is typically man-made.
Examples
"El río desbordó su cauce tras las lluvias."
Natural Translation
The river overflowed its bed after the rains.
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