Meanders are looping changes of direction of a stream. These may be like sine-waves. Typically, over time, the meanders don't disappear but gradually migrate downstream. However, if some resistant material slows or stops the downstream movement of a meander, a stream may erode through the neck between two legs of a meander to become temporarily straighter, leaving behind an arc-shaped body of water termed an oxbow lake or bayou. A flood may also result in a meander being cut through in this way.
m iː æ n d ə ɹ z WORD_BOUNDARY ɑ ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY l uː p ɪ ŋ WORD_BOUNDARY t̠ʃ eɪ n d̠ʒ ɪ z WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ v WORD_BOUNDARY d ɪ ɹ ɛ k ʃ ə n WORD_BOUNDARY ə v ə WORD_BOUNDARY s t ɹ iː m WORD_BOUNDARY ð iː z WORD_BOUNDARY m eɪ WORD_BOUNDARY b iː WORD_BOUNDARY l aɪ k WORD_BOUNDARY s aɪ n w eɪ v z WORD_BOUNDARY t ɪ p ɪ k l i WORD_BOUNDARY oʊ v ə ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY t aɪ m WORD_BOUNDARY ð ə WORD_BOUNDARY m iː æ n d ə ɹ z WORD_BOUNDARY d oʊ n t WORD_BOUNDARY d ɪ s ʌ p ɪ ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY b ʌ t WORD_BOUNDARY ɡ ɹ æ d̠ʒ uː ə l i WORD_BOUNDARY m aɪ ɡ ɹ eɪ t WORD_BOUNDARY d aʊ n s t ɹ iː m WORD_BOUNDARY h aʊ ɛ v ə ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ f WORD_BOUNDARY s ʌ m WORD_BOUNDARY ɹ ɪ s ɪ s t ə n t WORD_BOUNDARY m ə t ɪ ɹ i ə l WORD_BOUNDARY s l oʊ z WORD_BOUNDARY ɔ ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY s t ɑ p s WORD_BOUNDARY ð ə WORD_BOUNDARY d aʊ n s t ɹ iː m WORD_BOUNDARY m uː v m ə n t WORD_BOUNDARY ə v ə WORD_BOUNDARY m iː æ n d ə ɹ ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ WORD_BOUNDARY s t ɹ iː m WORD_BOUNDARY m eɪ WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ ɹ oʊ d WORD_BOUNDARY θ ɹ uː WORD_BOUNDARY ð ə WORD_BOUNDARY n ɛ k WORD_BOUNDARY b ɪ t w iː n WORD_BOUNDARY t uː WORD_BOUNDARY l ɛ ɡ z WORD_BOUNDARY ə v ə WORD_BOUNDARY m iː æ n d ə ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY t ə WORD_BOUNDARY b ɪ k ʌ m WORD_BOUNDARY t ɛ m p ə ɹ ɹ ɛ ɹ ɪ l i WORD_BOUNDARY s t ɹ eɪ t ə ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY l iː v ɪ ŋ WORD_BOUNDARY b ɪ h aɪ n d WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ n WORD_BOUNDARY ɑ ɹ k ʃ eɪ p t WORD_BOUNDARY b ɑ d i WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ v WORD_BOUNDARY w ɔ t ə ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY t ɜː m d WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ n WORD_BOUNDARY ɑ k s b oʊ WORD_BOUNDARY l eɪ k WORD_BOUNDARY ɔ ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY b aɪ uː WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ WORD_BOUNDARY f l ʌ d WORD_BOUNDARY m eɪ WORD_BOUNDARY ɔ l s oʊ WORD_BOUNDARY ɹ ɪ z ʌ l t WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ n WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ WORD_BOUNDARY m iː æ n d ə ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY b iː ɪ ŋ WORD_BOUNDARY k ʌ t WORD_BOUNDARY θ ɹ uː WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ n WORD_BOUNDARY ð ɪ s WORD_BOUNDARY w eɪ WORD_BOUNDARY