What does fallaway mean?
A fallaway is a backward or downward slope — a surface that recedes from the viewer rather than rising toward them. The term appears most often in descriptions of landscape and architecture, where surveyors and designers use it to characterise ground that drops gently away, as in the fallaway of a hillside or the fallaway of a roofline. It carries no strong connotations of its own, being chiefly technical and descriptive, though it lends prose a precise, almost cartographic quality. Beyond geography and building, the word enjoys a specialised life in cricket, where commentators describe a delivery's fallaway — the way the ball deviates away from the batter after pitching, often making it harder to play. Formed transparently from the verb phrase "fall away," it belongs to a small family of English nouns built on directional phrasal verbs, alongside words like "upturn" and "outfall." Though uncommon in casual speech, it is a useful term for anyone writing about terrain, design, or sport with accuracy.
A backward or downward slope; a surface that recedes from the viewer.
"The architect designed the terrace to follow the natural fallaway of the site."
(Cricket) The movement of a bowled ball away from the batter after it pitches.
"The spinner's fallaway made the ball extremely difficult to read."
Chiefly heard in British cricket commentary.
Standard plural; used when referring to multiple slopes or instances of movement.
"The course features several steep fallaways that test even experienced golfers."
In cricket, a bowler's "fallaway" can turn a good ball into an unplayable one — it's the word for a pitch that suddenly betrays the batter.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of fallaway
The noun "fallaway" is a straightforward English formation, deriving from the phrasal verb "fall away," which combines the Old English verbs "feallan" (to fall) and "awegan"/"onweg" (away). It arose as a descriptive compound naming the action of falling back or receding, applied figuratively to slopes and receding surfaces. Its development is native to English rather than borrowed, so it has no direct cognates in other languages, though it shares its Germanic roots with words such as "downfall" and "outfall."
How fallaway is actually used
Most common in British English and in specialist contexts such as landscape description, architecture, and cricket commentary. Rare in everyday conversation.
Easily confused with fallaway
"Fallback" means an alternative option or retreat position, while "fallaway" refers to a physical slope or receding surface.
"Fallout" refers to adverse consequences or radioactive debris, whereas "fallaway" denotes a sloping or receding shape.