waterfall n. Lawmakers use the term “waterfall” to describe surplus revenue. Hube worried there might be no water in this year’s waterfall. [EnglishMoney & FinancePolitics] [full cite] (Feb. 19, 2007)
waterfall structure n. A single trust might be further sliced and diced to create different derivative securities, each one subordinated to the next in terms of the claim on cash flow. In the event of a default, the highest-rated—and lowest-yielding—security has the first claim to the remaining mortgage payments. The next-highest-rated security has the next claim, and so on, in what the industry calls a “waterfall” structure. [EnglishMoney & FinanceJargon] [full cite] (Oct. 2, 2008)
waterlase n. Unlike a conventional drill, waterlase—as it’s called—never touches a tooth. Instead, the tool shoots out a laser beam, combined with water, to quickly ream out a cavity. [EnglishHealth] [full cite] (Feb. 7, 2005)
watermark ad n. It would be difficult to find a clearer example of the mingling of real news and advertising than the “watermark” ads The Times started offering in late September. Advertising images are printed faintly underneath a full page of stock-price quotations, with a conventional ad stripped across the bottom. There is little distinction left between news and advertising in the ads, which many editors refer to as “shadow” ads. [ LanguageEnglish SubjectAdvertisingMedia] [full cite] (Nov. 6, 2005)
watermelon n. The keynote speaker, William H. Holms, presented a talk entitled, “Wimps, Weirdos and Watermelons,” in which he stated environmentalists were just a bunch of unemployed welfare-leeching Communists. He suggested that the timber industry should join forces with the farming and mining (oil) industries and mount a “hate campaign” against the environmental community, which he portrayed as “green on the outside and red on the inside.” [EnglishEnvironmentPoliticsSlang] [full cite] (Apr. 30, 2004)
watermelon n. Major Robert D’Aubuisson, leader of the ultra right Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA), likes to compare the Christian Democrats to a watermelon. “Green (the Christian Democrats’ official color) on the outside,” he says, “and red on the inside.” [EnglishEnvironmentPoliticsSlang] [full cite] (Apr. 30, 2004)
watershed n. Jargon watch: when people talk about “the watershed,” they mean the difference between 8 pm and earlier, when kids might be watching, and 9 pm, when if kids are still up, it’s their parents’ fault. Our show is probably a post-watershed show. Heidi and Sarah’s are perfect family viewing. [EnglishMediaTelevisionJargon] [full cite] (Jul. 23, 2007)
waterspider n. A lean packing operation features ergonomically designed workcells, each outfitted with the same equipment, which support standardized work and make it easy for employees to rotate from one workstation to the next. Each workcell utilizes standard-sized boxes and has the necessary dunnage within easy reach. A dedicated material support person (a “waterspider” in lean parlance) helps replenish packaging supplies for all of the cells and loads the sealed boxes onto pallets. [EnglishBusinessJargon] [full cite] (Jun. 10, 2008)
wave season n. Selling her first cruise with America’s Vacation Center in December, Kier started during what is considered to be one of the slowest periods of the year. On the eve of what the cruise industry calls “wave season,” Kier managed to generate more than $20,000 in commissions in less than 30 days. [ LanguageEnglish RegisterJargon] [full cite] (Jan. 12, 2006)