Origin: Germanic Old English prefix
Ford has 13 different meanings across 3 categories:
Noun · Verb · Proper Noun
grandson of Henry Ford (1917-1987)
"The museum curator mentioned that Edsel Ford was the grandson of Henry Ford who helped preserve the company's early history."
son of Henry Ford (1893-1943)
"The biography chronicles the life and legacy of Edsel, the beloved son of Henry Ford who served as president of his father's company from 1919 until his sudden death in 1943."
English writer and editor (1873-1939)
"Many early readers of H.G. Wells were also familiar with his work through the editing efforts of John Henry Ford, though it is often mistaken for another figure given that name."
38th President of the United States; appointed vice president and succeeded Nixon when Nixon resigned (1913-2006)
"The Ford family dinner was a warm reminder that Gerald, who became president after Nixon's resignation, valued his roots as much as his historic role."
United States manufacturer of automobiles who pioneered mass production (1863-1947)
"Henry Ford revolutionized the industry by introducing the moving assembly line, which made his company a dominant force in American manufacturing."
A location where a stream is shallow and the bottom has good footing, making it possible to cross from one side to the other with no bridge, by walking, riding, or driving through the water; a crossing.
"She decided to trade her old sedan for a reliable blue Ford before the winter snows arrived."
A make of car, named for Henry Ford.
In plain English: A ford is a shallow part of a river where people and vehicles can cross on foot or by car without getting wet.
"The driver decided to ford the shallow river rather than wait for a bridge."
Usage: Do not use "ford" to refer to a vehicle; instead, use the brand name "Ford." The word ford correctly describes a shallow place in a river where people or animals can cross on foot.
cross a river where it's shallow
"The hikers chose to ford the stream after the rain subsided, wading carefully through the cold water."
To cross a stream using a ford.
"After the bridge washed away, we had to wade through the icy water to ford the creek and reach the other side."
In plain English: To ford means to walk or drive across shallow water without using a boat.
"We had to ford the river because the bridge was washed away."
Usage: Use "ford" as a verb when you walk or drive across a shallow river at a designated crossing point where the water is low enough to pass through safely. Do not use it for swimming across deep water or driving over a bridge, as those actions involve different methods of crossing.
A topographic surname, from Middle English for someone who lived near a ford.
"Many residents of that historic village are actually surnamed Ford because their ancestors once crossed the river at that shallow spot."
The word "ford" comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *pértus, meaning a crossing. It traveled into English through Old English to describe a shallow place in a river where one could walk across without getting wet.