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

We here saw many ripplings, like the overfalls of some rapid tide, yet found none.

From A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 09 Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History of the Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present Time by Kerr, Robert

The merchant ship Lady Elliot in passing through it, found overfalls with eighteen fathoms.

From Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia Performed between the years 1818 and 1822 — Volume 2 by King, Phillip Parker

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

On entering the streights, we found a very strong ripling of the sea, which we were apprehensive were overfalls; but we found it was a strong current setting to the westward.

From An Historical Journal of the Transactions at Port Jackson and Norfolk Island by Hunter, John