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

There’s a twilight canoe outing on Bow River for a quintessential Canadian moment, white water rafting that ends with a night in Anishinaabe-style tepees, excursions on float planes, and even a day of wine tasting in the Okanagan valley. —Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 12 Feb. 2025

Travelers can go white water rafting in Costa Rica, take a safari in Eswatini and hike up a volcano in Spain. —Marylou Costa, Contributor, CNBC, 22 Jan. 2025

As a fire ignited in the Pacific Palisades on Tuesday, the winds crashed over and through the mountains like white water rapids. —Judson Jones, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025

Ski or go white water rafting in Pucón From Frutillar, follow Route 5 north to Lago Villarica/Pucón. —AFAR Media, 23 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

white water

noun

: rough foamy water (as in rapids or waterfalls)