When a river enters a plain, it develops large, loop-like bends in its course. These bends are called:

Meanders are large, loop-like bends that a river develops as it flows across a gentle, flat plain, mostly in its middle and lower course.

Origin of the word:

The term comes from the Maiandros (now Menderes) river in Turkey, which is famous for its winding course.

How meanders form:

• On flat land, the river flows slowly and swings from side to side.
• Water flows faster on the outer side of a bend, so it erodes the outer bank and forms a steep river cliff.
• Water flows slower on the inner side of the bend, so it deposits sediment there, forming a gentle slope called a point bar or slip-off slope.
• Over time, this erosion and deposition make the bends larger and more pronounced.
• Meanders slowly migrate across the floodplain.

What can happen to meanders:

When the neck of a meander becomes very narrow, the river may cut through it during a flood, taking a shorter, straighter path. The abandoned loop then forms a separate landform, covered in another question.

Stages of a river:

• Upper course (youthful stage): steep slope, fast flow, V-shaped valleys, rapids and waterfalls.
• Middle course (mature stage): gentler slope, wider valleys and meanders.
• Lower course (old stage): very gentle slope, wide floodplains, large meanders and deltas.

Rivers of India with meanders:

The Ganga, Yamuna, Kosi, Brahmaputra and many other rivers of the northern plains form large meanders in their middle and lower courses.

Uses of the term:

In general language, "to meander" means to wander aimlessly, from the winding nature of such rivers.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Waterfalls and rapids are features of the steep upper course of a river.
• ✗Deltas form at a river's mouth, not as bends in its course.