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Added 9 October 2026

waterfall

/ˈwɔːtəfɔːl/ noun

In Latin: cataracta Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about waterfall at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

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.
Short for waterfall model
A very long project […] had taken a whole group of people through a painful waterfall development process.

verb

To fall like a waterfall.
To drink (something) from a container by pouring it from a height so as not to touch one's lips to the rim.
Synonym of recycle.

Origin

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”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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