When a ship or airplane reaches land after being at sea or in the air, or the place where they first sight or reach land.
Compound of 'land' + 'fall,' from nautical terminology. The word has been used by sailors and explorers since the 1600s to mark the crucial moment of reaching solid ground after long voyages.
Columbus's 'landfall' in 1492 is one of history's most famous moments — but it turned out he was in the Caribbean, not Asia! For modern hurricanes, we track their 'landfall' to predict which areas will be hit hardest.
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