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.

---

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

---

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

Waterfall & Wildlife Tour – It might seem silly to get off a cruise ship and onto a little boat, but trust me, you’ll get an entirely different perspective.

From Salon • Jul. 20, 2025

Waterfall Country in Ystradfellte, Powys, is extremely popular on social media with TikTok videos and Instagram posts receiving thousands of likes.

From BBC • Aug. 16, 2024

A hiker posted a video that showed the flow of water from Yuntai Mountain Waterfall - billed as China's tallest uninterrupted waterfall - was coming from a pipe built high into the rock face.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2024

Scores of rescue personnel were searching through a river around the Anai Valley Waterfall area in Tanah Datar district where tons of mud, rocks and trees were left from flash floods.

From Seattle Times • May 13, 2024

The woman in the Waterfall Cottage must have lit her lamp, forgetting to shutter her window which looked upon the road.

From Love of Brothers by Tynan, Katharine