head-water

The river's head-water is a small, clear spring in the mountains.

Definition

1. Noun (countable, usually plural):
   • The source or upper part of a stream or river: "head-water" refers to the water at the very beginning of a river system, often where tributaries originate or where the flow first emerges from the ground. It is typically used in the plural form "head-waters."

Usage Examples

• (The source of the river.)
• (The upper parts or sources of the river.)
• (The initial, upstream portion of the river.)

Advanced Usage

• "head-water region": an area where the sources of a river are located.

  • The head-water region of the Amazon is home to many unique species. (The area containing the river's sources.)

• "head-water catchment": the drainage basin that feeds the head-waters.

  • Deforestation in the head-water catchment can lead to soil erosion. (The area that collects water for the river's source.)

Variants and Related Words

• Head-waters (n, plural): the waters from which a river rises; the source of a river.

  • The head-waters of the Colorado River are in the Rocky Mountains. (The river's origins.)

• Headwater (adj): relating to or situated at the head or source of a river.

  • Headwater streams are often narrow and fast-flowing. (Streams at the river's source.)

Synonyms

• Source: the point of origin of a river.
  • The source of the Danube is in the Black Forest. (The beginning of the river.)
• Upper reaches: the upper part of a river, near its source.
  • The upper reaches of the river are pristine and untouched. (The upstream section.)
• Headspring: the spring that is the source of a river.
  • The headspring was hidden in a dense forest. (The spring at the river's origin.)

Related Idioms

• To trace something to its head-water: to find the origin or root cause of something.

  • The investigation traced the corruption to its head-water in the government office. (To find the ultimate source.)

• Still waters run deep, but head-waters run clear: a proverb suggesting that the beginning of something is often pure or transparent.

  • The head-waters of the river are clean, unlike the murky downstream. (The source is pure.)