1. the small streams that form the source of a river
Usage: geography; hydrology

Examples

• The headstreams of the Mississippi River begin in northern Minnesota.
• Mountain snowmelt feeds the headstreams that eventually become major rivers.
• Geographers studied the headstreams to understand the watershed’s boundaries.
• The headstreams converge in the valley to form a single waterway.
• Pollution in the headstreams can affect the entire river system downstream.
• The expedition traced the river back to its remote headstreams in the highlands.