Tributary
Tributary explained in an easy to understand way:
Think about a busy highway during rush hour where smaller roads constantly feed more cars into the main flow of traffic. Just like those smaller roads contribute to the congestion on the highway, tributaries are smaller streams that feed into larger rivers or lakes, adding to their flow. The highways represent the main rivers, while the smaller roads are analogous to tributaries, both channeling additional flow and impacting the overall system.
Practice Version
Tributary: A stream that flows into a lake or river. Tributary. A tributary is a smaller stream or river that feeds into a larger one, contributing to its flow.