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headwaters

American

[hed-waw-terz, -wot-erz] / ˈhɛdˌwɔ tərz, -ˌwɒt ərz /

plural noun

Sometimes headwater the upper tributaries of a river.

headwaters British

/ ˈhɛdˌwɔːtəz /

plural noun

the tributary streams of a river in the area in which it rises; headstreams

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of headwaters

1525–35; head + waters, plural of water

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.

See Examples For:

headwaters

In the months afterward, he embarked on an ill-advised expedition to find gold in the headwaters of the Columbia River in Canada.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

The treaty governs the use of water from six rivers, whose headwaters originate in India but flow into Pakistan as part of the Indus basin -- a resource relied on by hundreds of millions.

From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026

Drought Monitor show that much of the Gila River's headwaters in New Mexico is currently experiencing severe drought.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 18, 2026

Beaver officer Lauren Jasper said the sites were chosen because they offered strong habitat at the headwaters, good damming potential and an existing local flood risk.

From BBC ● Mar. 14, 2026

It subsided on the headwaters of the Ebola River and went back to its hiding place in the forest.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023