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

1. A flow of water over the edge of a cliff.
2. (figurative) A waterfall-like outpouring of liquid, smoke, etc.
   A waterfall of mist came from the open freezer.
3. (technical, computing, slang) Waterfall model
   A very long duration project […] had taken a whole group of people through a painful waterfall development process.
4. (slang, US) The action of drinking from a vessel without touching it with the lips, considered more sanitary for a shared vessel.
   Hey man, can I take a waterfall from your bottle?
5. (colloquial, dated) A necktie.
6. (colloquial, dated) A chignon.
7. (colloquial, dated) A beard.

verb

1. (intransitive) To fall like a waterfall.
   Rain ran off the bill of his fielder's cap and waterfalled in front of his face. 1994, Nora Roberts, Private Scandals, page 54
   Zondra, whose dirty-blond hair waterfalled above her head from a colorful tie, gave a snorting, horsey kind of laugh. 1999, Jane Yolen, Bruce Coville, Armageddon Summer, page 79
   they turned into the drive of The Manor with its red-brick front and the wonderful cloak of Virginia creeper waterfalling down between the windows. 2008, John Gardner, No Human Enemy, page 156
2. (transitive) To drink (something) from a container by pouring it from a height so as not to touch one's lips to the rim.
3. (roller derby) Synonym of recycle