A ford is a shallow place in a river or stream where people can cross by walking, riding, or driving through the water. Before bridges were common, travelers looked for fords where the water was low enough and the riverbed firm enough to cross safely. You might wade across a ford in your boots during a hike, feeling the current push against your legs while you step carefully on the smooth stones below.

Many towns have “ford” in their names, like Oxford or Hartford, because they grew up around important river crossings. When settlers arrived in a new area, finding a good ford often determined where they built roads and communities.

You can also use ford as a verb: to ford a stream means to cross it by going through the water rather than over a bridge. In stories set long ago, characters often ford rivers on horseback or in wagons, sometimes in dangerous conditions. A river that's easy to ford in summer might become impossible to cross during spring floods, when the water runs deep and fast. Finding a reliable ford could mean the difference between reaching your destination and being stuck for days waiting for the water to go down.