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waterfalla cascade of water falling from a height, formed when a river or stream flows over a precipice or steep incline

Part of speech: NOUN

Definition: a cascade of water falling from a height, formed when a river or stream flows over a precipice or steep incline

Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈwɔːtərfɔːl/

Example Sentences

  • My phone fell into the waterfall while I was taking a selfie - now it's literally a 'smartphone waterfall'!
  • The waterfall in Niagara Falls attracts millions of tourists every year.
  • She discovered a hidden waterfall during her hiking adventure in the mountains.

waterfall

NOUN

[/ˈwɔːtərfɔːl/]

a cascade of water falling from a height, formed when a river or stream flows over a precipice or steep incline

Water cascading down steep cliffs
💡 Concept

Water cascading down steep cliffs

Where waterfall meets rainfall, kings face their downfall.
🎵 Rhyme

Where waterfall meets rainfall, kings face their downfall.

Got the picture? Now let's practice.

🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ˈwɔːtərfɔːl/
🇬🇧 UK/ˈwɔːtəfɔːl/

🌳Etymology

Rootwater + fall

Origin

Waterfall emerged in the 14th century as a compound word combining 'water' (from Old English 'wæter', meaning liquid) and 'fall' (from Old English 'feallan', meaning to drop or descend). The compound literally denotes water descending vertically, creating the modern term for a cascade of water over a cliff or steep drop.

Breakdown

water (Old English 'wæter', liquid) + fall (Old English 'feallan', to drop or descend). The compound structure combines a noun denoting the substance with a verb describing its motion.

🎵Rhyme

downfallrainfallfootfall
downfall
rainfall
footfall

🔗Collocations

magnificent waterfall
waterfall plunges
behind the waterfall
waterfall cascades down
frozen waterfall
waterfall spray

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

My phone fell into the waterfall while I was taking a selfie - now it's literally a 'smartphone waterfall'!

The waterfall in Niagara Falls attracts millions of tourists every year.

She discovered a hidden waterfall during her hiking adventure in the mountains.

😄 Fun example

The sound of the waterfall was so relaxing that I fell asleep next to it - talk about water therapy!

📚Related Words

Synonyms

cascadecataractfallsrapids

Antonyms

droughtaridity

Related

riverstreamcliffcascadefountainspring

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