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Glite Dictionary
Angel Falls

Angel Falls

3.6
A waterfall in Venezuela that falls about 979 meters, the world's highest
  • proper noun
translation icon : Salto Ángel
  • The breathtaking view of Angel Falls took our breath away during our hike through the jungle.

Examples

  • Many tourists travel to Venezuela to see Angel Falls, the highest waterfall in the world.

  • Will and I have been talking about going back to Angel Falls.

    I Am Virgin (2010)

  • We captured stunning photographs of Angel Falls as the water cascaded down the cliffs.

Surface Forms

Angel Falls main

Morphology

Angel + falls

The headword 'falls' clearly denotes a waterfall and 'Angel' functions as a proper name, so the compound denotes a waterfall named 'Angel'. A B1 learner who knows both constituent words will readily infer it is a place (a waterfall) even if they do not know its exact location or fame, making the composition predictable.

Etymology

Angel Falls is named after an American pilot called Jimmie Angel who flew over the great waterfall in Venezuela in the 1930s. After he later landed on the flat top above the fall, people began calling the waterfall by his surname, so the name comes from a person, not from 'angels'.