What term describes the sharp turn in a meandering river?

The term that accurately describes the sharp turn in a meandering river is a meander. A meander forms as a river erodes its bank, creating a winding path characterized by curves and bends. As the water flows, it moves faster on the outside of the bend, leading to increased erosion, while the inside of the bend experiences slower water flow, allowing sediment to deposit. This dynamic process contributes to the formation of distinct shapes within the river channel, known as meanders. The term captures both the form and the process of the river's movement through the landscape.

While other options like an ox-bow lake refer to a crescent-shaped lake formed from a meander that has been cut off from the river due to erosion, a stream bend is a more general term and does not specifically refer to the sharpness or characteristics of those turns. The term cut-off describes the process whereby a river shortens its course by creating a new channel, often resulting in an ox-bow lake, rather than the concept of the sharp turn itself. Each of these terms contributes to the understanding of river dynamics, but "meander" is the most precise in defining the turns in a meandering river.