# waterfall

/ˈwɔtɝˌfɔɫ/ (US) · /wˈɔːtəfˌɔːl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/waterfall
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. falling water

noun · CEFR A2

a place where a river or stream falls over the edge of a cliff or steep rocks.

For teachers: a steep descent of water from a height, typically where a river or stream flows over a precipice.

- We hiked for three hours to see the beautiful waterfall in the mountains.
- The sheer volume of the waterfall created a permanent mist that nourished a unique microclimate of ferns and mosses along the canyon walls.

### 2. drinking style

noun · CEFR B2 · American English · Slang · Informal

a way of drinking from a bottle by pouring the liquid into your mouth without touching the rim.

For teachers: the act of consuming a beverage from a shared container by pouring the liquid from a height to avoid labial contact.

- Since we only had one bottle of water, we did a waterfall so we wouldn't share germs.
- The coach insisted that the players use a waterfall technique when sharing the communal water jug to prevent the spread of the flu among the team.

### 3. furniture style

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a style of furniture from the 1930s and 40s with rounded, curved edges.

For teachers: a design movement in mid-century furniture characterized by rounded 'waterfall' edges and the use of figured wood veneers.

- She bought a vintage waterfall dresser at the antique market.
- The bedroom suite featured the distinctive waterfall aesthetic of the late 1930s, with book-matched walnut veneers and gracefully curved horizontal edges.

### 4. project management

noun · CEFR B2 · Academic · Technical

a way of managing a project where you finish one step completely before starting the next.

For teachers: a sequential development process in which progress is seen as flowing steadily downwards through phases such as requirements, design, and implementation.

- The company switched from waterfall to agile to finish software updates faster.
- While the waterfall model provides a clear structure for large-scale infrastructure projects, it often lacks the flexibility required for modern software development cycles.

### 5. to flow down

verb · CEFR B2 · Literary

to fall or flow down quickly and in large amounts, like water.

For teachers: to descend or cascade in a manner suggestive of a waterfall. Intransitive use.

- Her long hair waterfalling down her back was bright red.
- The ivy waterfalled over the balcony, creating a living curtain of green that obscured the view of the street below.

## Examples

- The tourists took photos of the waterfall hidden in the forest.
- The sheer power of the waterfall created a fine mist that coated the surrounding rocks in a shimmering veil.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.