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

Strong currents producing overfalls, dangerous to small craft.

From The Sailor's Word-Book An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms, including Some More Especially Military and Scientific, but Useful to Seamen; as well as Archaisms of Early Voyagers, etc. by Belcher, Edward, Sir

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

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)