landfall

L1A1N1D2F4A1L1L1
UK/ˈlænd.fɔːl/US/ˈlænd.fɔl/US/ˈlænd.fɑl/

noun

An arrival at the shore by a ship, or sighting of the shore from a ship.

“Lighthouses are usually the first aids seen when making landfall.”

Less commonScrabble 12
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Meanings

landfall1

nounlandfall (countable and uncountable, plural landfalls)

plural landfalls

  1. countableuncountableAn arrival at the shore by a ship, or sighting of the shore from a ship.

    Lighthouses are usually the first aids seen when making landfall.

    2 more examples

    We made landfall at the most god-forsaken, barren, desolate, and hellish location possible to image; and we were grateful, anything to get off that ship!

    old stereotypes about American Indian culture that non-Indians have been creating and collecting since Columbus' landfall.

    1986 February 15, Patricia Clark Smith, “A Fresh Wind in the Museum: The Sacred Hoop”, in Gay Community News, volume 14, number 39, page B7
  2. countableuncountableThe point at which a hurricane or similar storm reaches land.
  3. countableobsoleteuncountableThe first land discovered after a sea voyage.
  4. countableuncountableA landslip.

Landfall2

proper noun
  1. A city in Washington County, Minnesota, United States.

    The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced on January 15, 2026, that zebra mussel larvae, known as veligers, were detected in Tanners Lake, a heavily used urban water body that borders the community of Landfall in Washington County.

    2026 February 16, Wayne Hall, “Zebra Mussels Confirmed in Tanners Lake, Threatening Recreation in Twin Cities Metro”, in The Traveler, archived from the original on 17 Feb 2026

Origin

landfall · noun

From land + fall.

Full word history & related roots →

Landfall · proper noun

From land + fall, see landfall.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 登陆
  • 登陆 (dēnglù)arrival of a ship at the shore
Czech přistání
  • přistáníarrival of a ship at the shore
Finnish rantautuminen, rantautumispaikka
  • rantautuminenarrival of a ship at the shore
  • rantautumispaikkaplace at which a storm reaches the land
French arrivée à terre
  • arrivée à terreplace at which a storm reaches the land
German Landung
  • Landungarrival of a ship at the shore
Hungarian partot érés
  • partot érésarrival of a ship at the shore
Irish teacht i dtír
  • teacht i dtírarrival of a ship at the shore
Italian approdo, attracco
  • approdoarrival of a ship at the shore
  • attraccoarrival of a ship at the shore
  • il toccare terraplace at which a storm reaches the land
  • raggiungere la terrafermaplace at which a storm reaches the land
Māori ūnga, ūnga ki uta
  • ūngaarrival of a ship at the shore
  • ūnga ki utaarrival of a ship at the shore
  • kitenga whenuaFirst land discovered after a sea voyage
Scottish Gaelic fradharc-tìre
  • fradharc-tìrearrival of a ship at the shore
Spanish recalada, aterrada
  • recaladaarrival of a ship at the shore
  • aterradaarrival of a ship at the shore
  • arribadaarrival of a ship at the shore
  • arribajearrival of a ship at the shore
Swedish angöring
  • angöringarrival of a ship at the shore
Cite this entry
APA

landfall. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/landfall

MLA

“landfall.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/landfall. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “landfall,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/landfall.

Source: landfall on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.