oxbow
**Definition:** A crescent-shaped lake formed when a river meander is cut off from the main channel. The river, having looped so far that the neck of the meander becomes thin, eventually breaks through, abandons the curve, and leaves behind a still, isolated body of water shaped like a bow.
A crescent-shaped lake formed when a river meander is cut off from the main channel. The river, having looped so far that the neck of the meander becomes thin, eventually breaks through, abandons the curve, and leaves behind a still, isolated body of water shaped like a bow.
Etymology
From the U-shaped collar placed around an ox's neck when yoking it to a plow. The shape is the same.
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