noun.
A body of water, such as a creek or small river, that is a tributary of a larger body of water.
noun.
A sluggish stream that meanders through lowlands, marshes, or plantation grounds.
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
noun.
In the southern United States, the outlet of a lake, or one of the several outlets of a river through its delta; a sluggish watercourse.
noun.
An abandoned portion of a river-channel forming a lake or swamp following the general course of the main stream: a special case of “ox-bow lake.” The bayous of the lower Mississippi river are typical.
the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
noun.
An inlet from the Gulf of Mexico, from a lake, or from a large river, sometimes sluggish, sometimes without perceptible movement except from tide and wind.