tailwater

noun

tail·​wa·​ter ˈtāl-ˌwȯ-tər 

-ˌwä-

1

: water below a dam or waterpower development

2

: excess surface water draining especially from a field under cultivation

Examples of tailwater in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The anglers checked that record on their cell phones — a cutthroat that weighed 4 pounds 12 ounces and was also caught in the Boone tailwaters by 10-year-old Palmer Tipton in July 2023 — and started making phone calls. —Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 25 July 2024

But even Maryland’s tailwaters — the rivers that flow from dams and provide great, cold-water habitat for wild trout — have been stressed this year, with 90-degree days starting in June. —Dan Rodricks, Baltimore Sun, 16 July 2024

As Brantley notes, the ways the rivers are managed can impact the fishing, but most tailwaters are fishable at least some of the time in late summer. —Morgan Lyle, Field & Stream, 13 July 2023

Larger tailwaters located below reservoirs with regular cold-water releases are also good places to focus your fishing. —Morgan Lyle, Field & Stream, 13 July 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1759, in the meaning defined at sense 1