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Webster 1913 Edition

Waterfall

Wa′ter-fallˊ

,
Noun.
1.
A fall, or perpendicular descent, of the water of a river or stream, or a descent nearly perpendicular; a cascade; a cataract.
2.
(Hairdressing)
An arrangement of a woman’s back hair over a cushion or frame in some resemblance to a waterfall.
3.
A certain kind of neck scarf.
T. Hughes.

Webster 1828 Edition

Waterfall

WATERFALL

,
Noun.
[water and fall.] A fall or perpendicular descent of the water of a river or stream, or a descent nearly perpendicular; a cascade; a cataract. But the word is generally used of the fall of a small river or rivulet. It is particularly used to express a cascade in a garden, or an artificial descent of water, designed as an ornament.

Definition 2025

waterfall

waterfall

English

Godafoss, a waterfall in Iceland

Noun

waterfall ‎(plural waterfalls)

  1. A flow of water over the edge of a cliff.
  2. (figuratively) A waterfall-like outpouring of liquid, smoke, etc.
    A waterfall of mist came from the open freezer.
  3. (technical, computing, slang) Waterfall model
    A very long duration project […] had taken a whole group of people through a painful waterfall development process.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

waterfall ‎(third-person singular simple present waterfalls, present participle waterfalling, simple past and past participle waterfalled)

  1. (intransitive) To fall like a waterfall.
    • 1994, Nora Roberts, Private Scandals, page 54:
      Rain ran off the bill of his fielder's cap and waterfalled in front of his face.
    • 1999, Jane Yolen; Bruce Coville, Armageddon Summer‎, page 79:
      Zondra, whose dirty-blond hair waterfalled above her head from a colorful tie, gave a snorting, horsey kind of laugh.
    • 2008, John Gardner, No Human Enemy‎, page 156:
      they turned into the drive of The Manor with its red-brick front and the wonderful cloak of Virginia creeper waterfalling down between the windows.

Derived terms

See also

Etymology

From Middle English waterfal, waterfalle, from Old English wæterġefeall ‎(“waterfall”), equivalent to water +‎ fall. Cognate with West Frisian wetterfal ‎(“waterfall”), Dutch waterval ‎(“waterfall”), German Wasserfall ‎(“waterfall”), Swedish vattenfall ‎(“waterfall”).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈwɔːtəfɔːl/
  • (US) enPR: wäʹtər-fôl, IPA(key): /ˈwɑtɚfɔl/

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