guado

ford, shallow crossing

noun GWAH-doh Rare

Origin: From Germanic wad (ford, shallow water), via medieval Latin vadum.

Usage Note

Guado refers to a shallow point in a river or stream that can be crossed on foot or by vehicle. The idiomatic phrase passare a guado means 'to ford (a river)'. In heraldry it also appears as a technical term. It is a relatively uncommon word in everyday speech but well-known from historical and geographical texts.

Examples

"I soldati attraversarono il fiume a guado."

Natural Translation

The soldiers crossed the river at the ford.

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