meltwater

noun

melt·​wa·​ter ˈmelt-ˌwȯ-tər 

-ˌwä-

: water derived from the melting of ice and snow

Examples of meltwater in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The meltwater pouring off Bråsvellbreen like waterfalls, though breathtakingly beautiful, was another sobering reminder of the consequences of global warming. — Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Rescue efforts were still ramping up Friday when a swollen glacial lake in the mountains upstream from the affected area, dammed up by debris and filling with meltwater, raised concerns of a possible new inundation looming. — Arshad R. Zargar, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026

That helps limit the amount of meltwater produced, which could otherwise refreeze elsewhere or collect at lower levels and create additional maintenance work. — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 20 Aug. 2026

Snowpack acts as a natural reservoir, storing winter precipitation and gradually releasing meltwater into early summer. — John Abatzoglou, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1923, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for meltwater

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

Kids Definition

meltwater

noun

melt·​wa·​ter ˈmelt-ˌwȯt-ər 

-ˌwät-

: water that comes from the melting of ice and snow