noun
stream; river flow; watercourse
Refers to the flowing water of a river or the river itself as a geographical feature. Somewhat formal or literary; in everyday speech, 川 (かわ) is more common.
この地域の河流は急流が多い。
The rivers in this region have many rapids.
地図には主要な河流が青い線で示されている。
Major watercourses are shown as blue lines on the map.