byfall

noun — 2 senses

byfall

noun

Etymology From by- + fall. Compare befall.

1

A falling about; an incidental accessory or accretion; a happenstance; occurrence; instance.

  • The ceremonies are as it were an income or a byfall.1575, Arthur Golding, Calvin on Psalms:
2

A fall of water, usually lesser in size, near to or beside a larger, more predominant waterfall.

  • There was the small byfall to which I have referred; there was the weir proper; there was a broadish lasher, the whole between them making a very fair description of tumbling bay, flanked by strong, individual streams.1888, William Senior, Near and far:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.