alveo

riverbed

noun AHL-veh-oh Rare

Origin: Latin alveus (hollow, trough)

Also means

channel

Usage Note

Alveo is the technical term for the bed or channel that a river carves — the part normally occupied by flowing water. It appears frequently in legal, hydrological, and environmental texts (alveo fluviale, alveo torrentizio). In ordinary conversation Italians are more likely to say letto del fiume.

Examples

"La pioggia ha allagato l'alveo del torrente."

Natural Translation

The rain flooded the streambed.

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