surface runoff

noun

Overland flow of excess water (with or without accumulated contaminants) that cannot be absorbed by the ground as infiltration.

“When there is very heavy rainfall on California hillsides over a prolonged period, there is almost always ensuing surface runoff.”

Similar
stormwaterrunoff[Appendix:Glossary
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Meanings

nounsurface runoff (countable and uncountable, plural surface runoffs)

plural surface runoffs

  1. countableuncountableOverland flow of excess water (with or without accumulated contaminants) that cannot be absorbed by the ground as infiltration.

    When there is very heavy rainfall on California hillsides over a prolonged period, there is almost always ensuing surface runoff.

    Synonyms: stormwater, runoff[Appendix:Glossary

Synonyms & antonyms

nounOverland flow of excess water (with or without accumulated contaminants) that cannot be absorbed by the ground as infiltration.

Similar
stormwaterrunoff[Appendix:Glossary
Also see
stormwater

Origin

From surface + runoff.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Estonian äravool
  • äravoolsurface runoff
Persian رواناب
  • رواناب (ravânâb)surface runoff
Polish spływ powierzchniowy
  • spływ powierzchniowysurface runoff
Portuguese escoamento superficial
  • escoamento superficialsurface runoff
Cite this entry
APA

surface runoff. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/surface%20runoff

MLA

“surface runoff.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/surface%20runoff. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “surface runoff,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/surface%20runoff.

Source: surface runoff on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.