Ogeechee

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A river flowing through southeastern Georgia that empties into the Altamaha River
2. A waterway in Georgia that rises in the state's interior and joins the Altamaha system
3. A Georgia river that meanders through the coastal plain before merging with the Altamaha

Etymology: The name belongs to a river in southeastern Georgia that runs through the coastal plain to the Atlantic near Savannah. It was named for the Ogeechee, a people who lived along its banks and were affiliated with the Creek confederacy. Their own name for the river and its origin are not reliably recorded, so the meaning of the word itself is uncertain. The name also attaches to a tree that grows in the river's swampy floodplains, the Ogeechee tupelo, scientifically "Nyssa ogeche." Its fruit, the Ogeechee lime, is small, oval, and very sour. The tree's name thus carries the river's name into a different plant family, and the fruit is unrelated to true limes, which are citrus. Its tart pulp was once used in making preserves and drinks, though it is now rarely eaten.