freshet noun & verb. ['frɛʃɪt] L16.
[Prob. from Old French freschete dim. of freis FRESH adjective: see -ET¹.]
A. noun.
1. A stream or rush of fresh water flowing into the sea; (now only poet.) a small freshwater stream. L16.
■ W. McIlvanney The river..broke into a thousand freshets on the rocks.

2. A flood of a river caused by heavy rain or melted snow. M17.
■ S. N. Cleghorn Wide and shallow in the cowslip marshes Floods the freshet of the April snow.
b. verb trans. & intrans. Flood (as) with a freshet. rare. M19.

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