Definition: Waterfall
Etymology
From Middle English waterfal, waterfalle, from Old English wæterġefeall (waterfall), equivalent to water + fall. Cognate with West Frisian wetterfal (waterfall), Dutch waterval (waterfall), German Wasserfall (waterfall), Swedish vattenfall (waterfall).
Noun
waterfall (plural waterfalls)
- A flow of water over the edge of a cliff.
- A waterfall-like outpouring of liquid, smoke, etc.
- A waterfall of mist came from the open freezer.
Derived terms
- waterfall effect
- waterfall model
Verb
waterfall (third-person singular simple present waterfalls, present participle waterfalling, simple past and past participle waterfalled)
- (intransitive) To fall like a waterfall.
- (transitive) To drink (something) from a container by pouring it from a height so as not to touch one's lips to the rim.
- (roller derby) Synonym of recycle
Derived terms
- waterfalled
- waterfalling
Credits
New World Encyclopedia writers and editors copied and adjusted this Wiktionary entry in accordance with NWE standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit for this article is due to both New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions at Wiktionary is accessible to researchers here:
