Standard Lemma guide

headwaters

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Canada: /ˈhɛdˌwɑtɝz/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: HH EH1 D W AO2 T ER0 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The source of a river, the set of streams that feed into the river's beginning.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: plural, plural-only

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From head + waters.

Across languages

Translations

27 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: capçalera — the set of streams that feed into the beginning of a river
  • French: source — the set of streams that feed into the beginning of a river
  • Galician: cabeceira — the set of streams that feed into the beginning of a river
  • German: Quellflüsse — the set of streams that feed into the beginning of a river
  • German: Quellgebiet — the set of streams that feed into the beginning of a river
  • Hawaiian: māno — the set of streams that feed into the beginning of a river
  • Italian: sorgente — the set of streams that feed into the beginning of a river
  • Japanese: 水上 (minakami) — the set of streams that feed into the beginning of a river
  • Malay: hulu — the set of streams that feed into the beginning of a river
  • Māori: taiwhakaroto — the set of streams that feed into the beginning of a river
  • Māori: hiku — the set of streams that feed into the beginning of a river
  • Portuguese: nascente — the set of streams that feed into the beginning of a river
  • Portuguese: cabeceira — the set of streams that feed into the beginning of a river
  • Portuguese: olho-d’água — the set of streams that feed into the beginning of a river
  • Portuguese: exsurgência — the set of streams that feed into the beginning of a river
  • Portuguese: mina de água — the set of streams that feed into the beginning of a river
  • Portuguese: fonte — the set of streams that feed into the beginning of a river
  • Spanish: cabecera — the set of streams that feed into the beginning of a river
  • Spanish: afloramiento — the set of streams that feed into the beginning of a river
  • Spanish: manantial — the set of streams that feed into the beginning of a river
  • Spanish: naciente — the set of streams that feed into the beginning of a river
  • Spanish: nascimiento — the set of streams that feed into the beginning of a river
  • Spanish: nacimiento — the set of streams that feed into the beginning of a river
  • Spanish: fontanar — the set of streams that feed into the beginning of a river
  • Spanish: hontanar — the set of streams that feed into the beginning of a river
  • Tagalog: inantubig — the set of streams that feed into the beginning of a river
  • Lower Tanana: xwtl'ot — the set of streams that feed into the beginning of a river
Real reading context

headwaters in complete knowledge articles