high waters
Americanplural noun
Etymology
Origin of high waters
An Americanism dating back to 1855–60
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.
The levee that restrained the Cedar River here for years blocked access to the channels that give salmon and other fish an escape from seasonal high waters.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 19, 2023
California’s high waters are now receding, but the opportunity to capture runoff will likely continue through the spring as a hefty mountain snowpack melts.
From Science Magazine • Jan. 22, 2023
The sheriff’s office in Volusia County said it was looking into whether it needed to acquire more vehicles capable of traveling in high waters.
From New York Times • Oct. 21, 2022
Signs warning people about dangerously high waters stuck out of the riverbed, and rocks lay exposed.
From Reuters • Aug. 10, 2022
The high waters along the shoreline had caused some of the animals to migrate inland, deep into the Amazonian rain forest.
From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
