overfalls

American  

[oh-ver-fawlz] / ˈoʊ vərˌfɔlz /

noun

1. Oceanography. water made rough by a strong current moving over a shoal, by an opposing current, or by winds blowing against the current.

2. Obsolete. a cataract or waterfall.

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Etymology

Origin of overfalls

First recorded in 1535–45; over- + fall + -s ³

Example Sentences

Mr Sharp said: "We are tired but feel quite ecstatic to have finished. "It was a bit hairy towards the finish... with strong tides and big overfalls in the dark.

From BBC • Dec. 15, 2015

The 30th, in the morning, our latitude was 5° 57' S. our longitude from Bantam 224 leagues E. our course E. northerly twenty-eight leagues, the overfalls continuing, but had no ground at 100 fathoms.

From A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 08 by Kerr, Robert

We steered E. by S. constantly throwing the lead, in regard to the overfalls or ripplings, which were very fearful, yet had no ground at sixty fathoms.

From A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 08 by Kerr, Robert

Once they encountered "overfalls" of rather broken water on the tail of a bank; but, with nothing worse than a couple of waves breaking inboard, the motor-boat gained the comparatively smooth water beyond.

From The Dispatch-Riders The Adventures of Two British Motor-cyclists in the Great War by Westerman, Percy F. (Percy Francis)

The overfalls of rock and the unfriendly thorn-trees, selfishly taking up all the room, necessitate frequent zigzags up and down the rocky, precipitous banks.

From The Land of Midian — Volume 2 by Burton, Richard Francis, Sir