waterfall

American  

[waw-ter-fawl, wot-er-] / ˈwɔ tərˌfɔl, ˈwɒt ər- /

noun

• waterfalls
  plural

1. a steep fall or flow of water in a watercourse from a height, as over a precipice; cascade.

2. a manner of arranging women's hair, as in long, loose waves.

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adjective

1. noting or relating to a philosophy of product development and production that includes sequential stages, from conception and design through testing and implementation, resulting in one finalized version of the product: waterfall management;

   waterfall development;

   waterfall management;

   a waterfall model.

waterfall British  

/ ˈwɔːtəˌfɔːl /

noun

1. a cascade of falling water where there is a vertical or almost vertical step in a river

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• waterfalls
  plural

Etymology

Origin of waterfall

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English wætergefeall. See water, fall

Explanation

A natural area where a river or stream cascades over a high precipice and pours down is called a waterfall. If you like to go canoeing down the river, make sure you stop before you get to that waterfall! The word waterfall comes from its Old English precursor, wætergefeall. It's a beautifully simple description of exactly what a waterfall is — water that falls continuously from a height, either in a river's course or over the edge of an iceberg. Waterfalls are most common in steep mountain rivers, but there are many smaller waterfalls as well. The world's tallest waterfall, Angel Falls in Venezuela, is over 3,000 feet high.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

waterfall waterfalls

The property includes a landscaped front yard with a waterfall and a tiki hut-style pavilion that is used as a gym or for yoga, according to listing agent Chris Cortazzo of Compass.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

The lake ends at 27-metre-high waterfall, which has now stopped flowing.

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

Yang compares the behavior to water flowing over a waterfall.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026

The backyard features a PebbleTec swimming pool along with a spa and waterfall.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026

We duckling-walk in a row along the lake’s shore, toward its east side, heading for the smallest waterfall.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

First protected in 1864, Yosemite National Park in California's Sierra Nevada mountains is internationally acclaimed for its spectacular granite cliffs, glaciers, waterfalls, sequoia trees and wildlife.

From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026

The Trinity Alps Wilderness, about three hours north of Sacramento, offers hiking trails, waterfalls, alpine lakes and smaller crowds than at popular national parks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

Tourists still lined up to peer through them at city skylines and waterfalls.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026

A sub-range of the Appalachian Mountains along the border of Tennessee and North Carolina, the Smokies are known for hiking trails with waterfalls and scenic outlooks.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 11, 2026

The rapids stretched on for a mile and included two waterfalls.

From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple