intermittent river; intermittent stream
Technical term in geography and hydrology for a watercourse that flows only seasonally or after heavy rain. Rare in everyday language.
There are many intermittent rivers in this region; they dry up except during the rainy season.
常時河川 refers to a perennial river that flows year-round, in contrast to an intermittent river.
Compound of 間欠 (intermittent) and 河川 (rivers). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term follows standard Sino-Japanese word formation.