white water

noun

variants or whitewater

ˈ(h)wīt-ˌwȯ-tər 

-ˌwä-

: turbulent, frothy water (as in breakers, rapids, or falls)

… it's New England's toughest stretch of … white water, a maze of boulders and narrow channels.

—Michael D. Burke

… he chased whitewater in some of North America's most remote corners …

—Mark Bechtel

When seized by white water, the idea is to swim for the bottom (if you can tell which way that is), pray to stay relaxed and conserve your air …

—Kenny Moore

white water rafting

a whitewater outfitter

white-water paddlers

Examples of white water in a Sentence

The canoe got caught in white water.

Recent Examples on the Web

In a video posted by the group, the marine mammals can be seen repeatedly breaching the turquoise waves, sending white water flying. —Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 3 June 2025

Rafting class system, explained Most kid-friendly white water rafting trips fall within Class I-II. —Morgan Tilton, Denver Post, 8 June 2025

What started as a distant rumble grew into an earthquake-like tremor—a freight train of white water barreling toward them. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025

The river — a popular spot for white water rafting around this time of the year — is fast-moving and dangerous. —Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for white water

• annunciator
• imprimatur
• underwater
• backwater
• bathwater
• blackwater
• breakwater
• deepwater
• edgewater
• feedwater
• floodwater
• freshwater

Kids Definition

white water

noun

: rough foamy water (as in rapids or waterfalls)