smaller waterfall (of a pair)
Refers to the smaller or less powerful of two adjacent waterfalls, often contrasted with 男滝 (おだき, the larger one). Used in place names and scenic descriptions.
In this valley there are two waterfalls: the larger one and the smaller one.
女滝は水量が少なく、優しい流れだ。
The smaller waterfall has less water and a gentle flow.
Standard kanji spelling; 女 (woman/female) + 滝 (waterfall).
Variant using 雌 (female animal); less common but seen in some place names.
Compound of 女 (め, 'woman, female') + 滝 (たき, 'waterfall'), with rendaku voicing. The pairing of male/female terms for natural features is traditional in Japanese place naming.