waterworn

American

[waw-ter-wawrn, -wohrn, wot-er-] / ˈwɔ tərˌwɔrn, -ˌwoʊrn, ˈwɒt ər- /

adjective

worn by the action of water; smoothed by the force or movement of water.

waterworn British

/ ˈwɔːtəˌwɔːn /

adjective

worn smooth by the action or passage of water

"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 waterworn

First recorded in 1805–15; water + worn

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.

Viewing the strata exposed by the river in the Grand Canyon, the wind-weathered landscape of Bryce Canyon or the waterworn stalactites of Carlsbad Caverns is like looking backward through time.

From Time Magazine Archive

I ease myself along, intrigued by the smooth, waterworn walls.

From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

The line led across a waterworn ledge and downward.

From Out of the Depths A Romance of Reclamation by Brehm, George

Its waterworn pebbles and small bowlders were subsequently covered by lake deposit, during the time between the inclosure and break out at San Carlos.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 832, December 12, 1891 by Various

Yet, strange to say, the gold was invariably waterworn in appearance.

From Getting Gold: a practical treatise for prospectors, miners and students by Johnson, J. C. F. (Joseph Colin Frances)

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