waterfall

B1 Topic:Space, Position & Direction

US /ˈwɔtɚfɔl/ UK /ˈwɔːtəfɔːl/ See IPA manual

noun verb Freq #11929

Meanings

1

noun
A place where water flows down over the edge of a cliff or steep rocks.

We hiked for hours to see the famous waterfall.
2

verb
To fall or pour downward like a waterfall.

Rain waterfalled off the edge of the roof.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a place where water flows... falls cascade cataract

Word family

Forms waterfalls

Derived forms waterfalledwaterfalling

Related forms cloudfallforcefallicefallsmokefallwaterfalls

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”).

waterfal Middle English wæterġefeall Old English

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Topics

Space, Position & Direction

# waterfall

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** ˈwɔtɚfɔl
**IPA (UK):** ˈwɔːtəfɔːl
**Frequency rank:** 11929

## Meanings
1. A place where water flows down over the edge of a cliff or steep rocks.
2. To fall or pour downward like a waterfall.

## Examples
- We hiked for hours to see the famous waterfall.
- Rain waterfalled off the edge of the roof.

## Derived Forms
- waterfalled
- waterfalling

## Related Forms
- cloudfall
- forcefall
- icefall
- smokefall
- waterfalls

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: waterfal
- Root: wæterġefeall

## 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”).

## AI Etymology
Waterfall is 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”). Important historical forms include Middle English waterfal, and Old English wæterġefeall. In present-day use, it can mean a place where water flows down over the edge of a cliff or steep rocks, or to fall or pour downward like a waterfall. Derived formations include waterfalled, waterfalling.

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction

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waterfall

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