noun
Common word for a waterfall or cascade.
この山には大きな滝がある。
There is a big waterfall on this mountain.
滝の音が遠くから聞こえる。
The sound of the waterfall can be heard from afar.
noun
Archaic use for rapids or fast-flowing water; modern Japanese uses 急流 or 早瀬.
古文では「滝」が急流を指すこともある。
In classical texts, 滝 can sometimes refer to rapids.
Native Japanese word. The kanji 滝 is a phono-semantic compound with 水 (water) and 龍 (dragon), reflecting the traditional association of waterfalls with dragons.