Waterhead
name, noun, verb ·Uncommon ·College level
Definitions
- 1 A spring or headwater. countable, uncountable
"It is bounded to the southward by a line of springs or waterheads, which is also the northern boundary of the tract called the Terrai , one equally distinguished with the former from the souther plain country, but occasionally annexed to it and occasionally to the hills."
- 2 An area of high elevation, viewed as the catchment basin for a region. countable, uncountable
"In my Report on the Agriculture and Minerals of Derbyshire, the first volume of which, treating the surface, minerals, rivers, &c. is now in the press, An alphabetical List of the most remarkable Mountains, Hills and Eminences has been printed, referring to a small Map of 41 principal Ridges, or ranges of high ground, called waterheads, which divide the drainages to 32 rivers and rivulets , in and near Derbyshire."
- 3 A reservoir or natural source of water that is put to use. countable, uncountable
"As a result of narrowing the stream channel, a waterhead is formed in front of a structure and the depth of water reaches the magnitude H, greater than the depth of an unelevated water a."
- 4 A portion of a device or system where water is stored before it is used, such as a header tank. countable, uncountable
"The water supplied to the boiler first pases into a waterhead situate within the smoke box, where it becomes heated preparatory to entering the boiler."
- 5 The amount of water or water pressure provided by a waterhead (reservoir or portion of a device that stores water). countable, uncountable
"Where water is conveyed through pipes and there is sufficient waterhead for pipe pressure, spraying irrigation may be resorted to."
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 A showerhead. countable, uncountable
"I even shower with my pen, in case any ideas drip out of the waterhead."
- 7 The place where water enters or exits a device or system countable, uncountable
"Inlet and outlet waterheads at each end of the condenser are arranged such that cooling water flow through the condenser is single flow ."
- 8 A water main countable, uncountable
"This system consists of one or more lengths of pipe, extending from the main, or waterhead."
- 9 A burst of water. countable, uncountable
"Hot flashes were a mere summer shower compared to the waterhead she created more days a month than not."
- 10 Hydrocephalus uncountable
"The head enlarges and "waterhead" ( hydrocephalus ) results."
- 11 The enlarged head of a person or animal with hydrocephalus. countable, uncountable
"ADELE : A waterhead. You know, one of them high heads."
- 12 A hydrocephalic person or animal countable, uncountable
"He has also shown how an internal pressure, like that of growing beans or of a column of water will expand or burst it – in life we observe the same expansion occurring in waterheads and on account of other internal morbid growths, above all in the younger years of life."
- 13 A stupid and/or ugly person. countable, uncountable
"8:33 a.m. Jesus, this waterhead Gurney again! You'd think the poor bugger would have the sense to not talk any more ... but no, Gurney is still blundering along, still hammering blindly at the receding edges of Dean's 'credibility' in his now-obvious role as what Frank Reynolds and Sam Donaldson on ABC-TV both described as 'the waterboy for the White House'."
- 1 To behave in an imbecilic manner.
"This was no time to waterhead around."
- 1 A place in England:; A civil parish in north-east Cumberland district, Cumbria, previously in City of Carlisle district
- 2 A place in England:; A settlement on Windermere in Lakes parish, Westmorland and Furness, Cumbria (OS grid ref NY3703).
- 3 A place in England:; A hamlet in Aveton Gifford parish, South Hams district, Devon (OS grid ref SX6847).
- 4 A place in England:; A locality and ward in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, Greater Manchester (OS grid ref SD9506).
Example
More examples"It is bounded to the southward by a line of springs or waterheads, which is also the northern boundary of the tract called the Terrai , one equally distinguished with the former from the souther plain country, but occasionally annexed to it and occasionally to the hills."
Etymology
From water + head.
More for "waterhead"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.