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headwaters

American  
[hed-waw-terz, -wot-erz] / ˈhɛdˌwɔ tərz, -ˌwɒt ərz /

plural noun

  1. Sometimes headwater the upper tributaries of a river.


headwaters British  
/ ˈhɛdˌwɔːtəz /

plural noun

  1. the tributary streams of a river in the area in which it rises; headstreams

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of headwaters

1525–35; head + waters, plural of water

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Beaver officer Lauren Jasper said the sites were chosen because they offered strong habitat at the headwaters, good damming potential and an existing local flood risk.

From BBC Mar. 14, 2026

It as often referred to as the headwaters of California because its lakes and aquifers help provide clean drinking water to the rest of the state.

From Los Angeles Times Jan. 3, 2025

The water that flows into the North Fork Reservoir, which serves Asheville and the towns of Black Mountain and Swannanoa, always ran clear and clean from its headwaters high in Pisgah National Forest.

From Salon Nov. 25, 2024

"The issue is slowly propagating from small headwaters into bigger rivers over time," he said.

From Science Daily May 21, 2024

His entire front was slick with muck, as though the flood’s headwaters had flowed from the still chambers of his heart.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

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