---
title: oxbow — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «oxbow» in the school dictionary: An oxbow (oxbow lake) is a curved lake that forms when a bend (meander) of a river is cut off from the main river. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# oxbow

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** oxbow, curved lake, shaped wooden collar, oxbow lake, We, Mississippi River · **What happens:** curve, be, form, cut off, shape, fit · **To what, where:** curved lake, bend, main river, big shaped bend, river, shaped wooden collar

<!-- .vabout -->
«oxbow» in the school dictionary: its 3 meanings for a pupil and its 7 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [oxbow in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/oxbow.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
An oxbow (oxbow lake) is a curved lake that forms when a bend (meander) of a river is cut off from the main river.

<!-- fold The tree, 24 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:oxbow:m1:1
# text = An oxbow (oxbow lake) is a curved lake that forms when a bend (meander) of a river is cut off from the main river.
1	An	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	oxbow	oxbow	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
3	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	oxbow	oxbow	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	compound	_	_
5	lake	lake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	5	punct	_	_
7	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	curved	curve	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	10	amod	_	_
10	lake	lake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
11	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	12	nsubj	_	_
12	forms	form	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	acl:relcl	_	_
13	when	when	SCONJ	WRB	_	23	mark	_	_
14	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	bend	bend	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	23	nsubj:pass	_	_
16	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	17	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	meander	meander	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	17	punct	_	_
19	of	of	ADP	IN	_	21	case	_	_
20	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	21	det	_	_
21	river	river	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nmod	_	_
22	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	23	aux:pass	_	_
23	cut	cut	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	12	advcl	_	_
24	off	off	ADP	RP	_	23	compound:prt	_	_
25	from	from	ADP	IN	_	28	case	_	_
26	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	28	det	_	_
27	main	main	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	28	amod	_	_
28	river	river	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	23	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
29	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	10	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **curve** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn knead-26.5 «NP.material V PP.product»: agent=Material |
| 2 | **is a** | present | a oxbow | a curved lake |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **form** | present | a curved lake |  |  |  |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 4 | **cut off** | present · passive |  | a bend of a river |  | the main river |  |  | vn remove-10.1 «NP V NP PP»: subject=Theme from river=Initial\_Location |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
An oxbow is also a big U-shaped bend in a river.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:oxbow:m2:1
# text = An oxbow is also a big U-shaped bend in a river.
1	An	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	oxbow	oxbow	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
4	also	also	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
6	big	big	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
7	U	U	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	shaped	shape	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	10	amod	_	_
10	bend	bend	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
11	in	in	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	river	river	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	10	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **shape** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset |
| 2 | **is a** | present | a oxbow | a big shaped bend |  | a river |  |  | tree rules |

## Meaning 3 {#m3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
An oxbow is a U-shaped wooden collar that fits around an ox's neck to fix it to a yoke.

<!-- fold The tree, 21 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:oxbow:m3:1
# text = An oxbow is a U-shaped wooden collar that fits around an ox's neck to fix it to a yoke.
1	An	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	oxbow	oxbow	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
5	U	U	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	shaped	shape	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	9	amod	_	_
8	wooden	wooden	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	collar	collar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
10	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	11	nsubj	_	_
11	fits	fit	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	acl:relcl	_	_
12	around	around	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
13	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	ox	ox	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	's	's	PART	POS	_	14	case	_	_
16	neck	neck	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	_
17	to	to	PART	TO	_	18	mark	_	_
18	fix	fix	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	11	advcl	_	_
19	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	18	obj	_	_
20	to	to	ADP	IN	_	22	case	_	_
21	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	22	det	_	_
22	yoke	yoke	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	9	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **shape** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset |
| 2 | **is a** | present | a oxbow | a shaped wooden collar |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **fit** | present | a shaped wooden collar |  |  | a ox's neck |  |  | vn funnel-9.3-1 «NP V NP PP.trajectory»: agent=Agent around neck=Trajectory |
| 4 | **fix** | to-infinitive | a shaped wooden collar *not said here* | oxbow |  |  |  | to a yoke | vn shake-22.3-2 «NP V NP PP»: agent=Agent it=Patient to yoke=Co-Patient |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
An oxbow lake forms when a meander is cut off.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:oxbow:x1:1
# text = An oxbow lake forms when a meander is cut off.
1	An	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	oxbow	oxbow	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	lake	lake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	forms	form	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	when	when	SCONJ	WRB	_	9	mark	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	meander	meander	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj:pass	_	_
8	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	aux:pass	_	_
9	cut	cut	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	advcl	_	_
10	off	off	ADP	RP	_	9	compound:prt	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **form** | present | a oxbow lake |  |  |  |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **cut off** | present · passive |  | a meander |  |  |  |  | vn stop-55.4-1 «NP V NP.eventuality»: subject=Eventuality |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
We drew a diagram of how an oxbow lake forms.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:oxbow:x2:1
# text = We drew a diagram of how an oxbow lake forms.
1	We	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	drew	draw	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	diagram	diagram	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
6	how	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	10	advmod	_	_
7	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
8	oxbow	oxbow	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	lake	lake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	compound	_	_
10	forms	form	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **draw** | past | We | a diagram of a lake forms |  |  |  |  | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent diagram=Theme |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The Mississippi River has many oxbow lakes.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:oxbow:x3:1
# text = The Mississippi River has many oxbow lakes.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	Mississippi	Mississippi	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	River	River	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	many	many	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
6	oxbow	oxbow	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	lakes	lake	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | the Mississippi River | many oxbow lakes |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent lake=Patient |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ducks swam on the quiet oxbow.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:oxbow:x4:1
# text = Ducks swam on the quiet oxbow.
1	Ducks	duck	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	swam	swim	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	on	on	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	quiet	quiet	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	oxbow	oxbow	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **swim** | past | Ducks |  |  | the quiet oxbow |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme on oxbow=Trajectory |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The flood cut through the neck of the meander and made an oxbow.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:oxbow:x5:1
# text = The flood cut through the neck of the meander and made an oxbow.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	flood	flood	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	cut	cut	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	through	through	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	neck	neck	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	meander	meander	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
11	made	make	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
12	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	oxbow	oxbow	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **cut** | participle | the flood |  |  |  |  | through the neck of the meander | vn cut-21.1-1 «NP V PP»: agent=Agent through neck=Patient |
| 2 | **make** | past | the flood *not said here* | a oxbow |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset oxbow=Product |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The farmer's old ox wore a wooden oxbow.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:oxbow:x6:1
# text = The farmer's old ox wore a wooden oxbow.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	farmer	farmer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	's	's	PART	POS	_	2	case	_	_
4	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	ox	ox	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
6	wore	wear	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	wooden	wooden	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	oxbow	oxbow	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **wear** | past | the farmer's old ox | a wooden oxbow |  |  |  |  | vn wipe\_manner-10.4.1-1 «NP V NP.source»: agent=Agent oxbow=Source |

## Example 7 {#x7}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Oxbow lakes slowly fill with mud and plants.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:oxbow:x7:1
# text = Oxbow lakes slowly fill with mud and plants.
1	Oxbow	oxbow	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	compound	_	_
2	lakes	lake	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
3	slowly	slowly	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	fill	fill	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	with	with	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	mud	mud	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	plants	plant	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fill** | present | Oxbow lakes |  |  |  |  | with mud and plants; slowly *property* | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP V NP PP.instrument»: agent=Agent with mud=Instrument |

<!-- div src -->

**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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