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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Adjective
Sadly, this movie also serves as a high-water mark for a very mixed franchise: Hannibal (2001), Red Dragon (2002), and Hannibal Rising (2007) gave us increasingly diminished returns for the onscreen adventures of Hannibal Lecter. EW.com, 17 Oct. 2024 Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS Another satellite image shows destruction in Clearwater, near Tampa and St. Petersburg, where first responders used high-water vehicles and boats to rescue families who were trapped inside of a local apartment complex. Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2024
Noun
Meats that have a high water content are likely going to be more prone to consistency changes when thawed, Kramer notes. Caroline C. Boyle, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024 One database, which tracks incidents of terrorism across the globe, shows that the 1970s were a high water mark for political violence in the U.S. Odette Yousef, NPR, 17 Sep. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near high-water

high-warp

high-water

high water

Cite this Entry

“High-water.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/high-water. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!