headwall

American  

[hed-wawl] / ˈhɛdˌwɔl /

noun

plural

headwalls

1. Physical Geography. a steep slope at the back of a cirque or the head of a valley.

2. Civil Engineering. a supporting or protective wall, such as one built around the opening of a culvert or tunnel.

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headwall Scientific  

/ hĕd′wôl′ /

1. A steep slope or precipice rising at the head of a valley or glacial cirque.

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Example Sentences

Worse, where the trail passes beneath the bowl, the steep headwall can shed ice and boulders when it is warmed by the afternoon sun.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 2, 2023

But a hike up the Kinso River bags you four of its finest unharnessed falls culminating in Søtefossen, a giant double leap down the headwall of the Husedalen.

From The Guardian • Aug. 1, 2019

Groundwater seepage can be seen in Box Canyon in Idaho, where approximately 10 cubic meters per second of seepage emanates from its vertical headwall.

From Textbooks • Sep. 6, 2018

With a bit of exploring, waterfalls sprouting from the headwall can be found.

From Washington Times • Aug. 8, 2015

But under its geyser jets of blossom that little gray cabin was the essence of the picturesque, with the forest wall rising behind it, and behind that the great headwall of the cove.

From Penguin Persons & Peppermints by Eaton, Walter Prichard