high-water

1 of 2

adjective

high-wa·​ter ˈhī-ˌwȯ-tər How to pronounce high-water (audio)
-ˌwä-
: unusually short
high-water pants

high water

2 of 2

noun

: a high stage of the water in a river or lake

Examples of high-water in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
The weather service also recorded a high of 89 degrees at the Oakland Museum, one degree warmer than its previous high-water mark in March, set in 2005. Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026 The manner of Chelsea’s victory was the high-water mark of the BlueCo era, and appeared to hint at more success in their near future. Liam Twomey, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Noun
Many of the area’s most popular waterways, including the Sacramento River, American River, Feather Yuba River, Cache Creek and Putah Creek, experienced record-high water temperatures last week. Sarah Linn, Sacbee.com, 23 Mar. 2026 Her nephew and son-in-law rushed out into chest-high water to save them. Dallas Morning News, 22 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for high-water

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1856, in the meaning defined above

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of high-water was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“High-water.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/high-water. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

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