waterfall

American  

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

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of waterfall

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

Example Sentences

The dimly lit dining room centers around a dramatic waterfall feature that adds to the romantic atmosphere.

From Salon • Mar. 7, 2026

Yosemite National Park is bracing for thousands of visitors who will descend on the area to see the setting sun illuminate a waterfall so that it looks like fire.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2026

“You can start to think of this in a waterfall fashion,” he said.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 8, 2026

A volunteer mountain rescuer was pictured scaling a frozen Gordale Scar waterfall in the Yorkshire Dales National Park after temperatures dropped in parts of the UK.

From BBC • Jan. 7, 2026

Behind the waterfall, Aru heard the faintest unclasping sound.

From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi