headwater

noun

head·​wa·​ter ˈhed-ˌwȯ-tər 

-ˌwä-

: the source of a stream

—usually used in plural

Synonyms of headwater

• tributary
• source
• headstream

Examples of headwater in a Sentence

the first exploration of the Missouri River from its mouth to its headwaters was made by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark in the early 1800s

Recent Examples on the Web

The headwaters of this 1,400-mile long artery are in the Rocky Mountains, fed by melting snowpack. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 22 July 2026

Following an exceedingly warm year that has left the Colorado River’s headwaters in the Rocky Mountains largely snowless, Lake Mead is nearing a record-low level. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026

Its headwaters are in Indian River County, its mouth in the Atlantic near Jacksonville, which is the furthest place Sanders Fish House delivers its wild catch. — Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 June 2026

Grinnell Glacier Trail, Glacier National Park, Montana Covering around a million acres, Glacier National Park provides the headwaters for streams that flow to the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Hudson Bay. — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 26 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for headwater

• backwater
• bathwater
• blackwater
• breakwater
• deepwater
• edgewater
• feedwater
• floodwater
• freshwater
• granddaughter
• groundwater
• manslaughter

Kids Definition

headwater

noun

head·​wa·​ter -ˌwȯt-ər 

-ˌwät-

: the beginning and upper part of a stream

—usually used in plural