watershed

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wa·ter·shed

(wô′tər-shĕd′, wŏt′ər-)

1. The entire region draining into a river, river system, or other body of water: a list of reptiles found in the watershed. Also called basin, drainage basin.

2. A ridge of high land dividing two areas that are drained by different river systems. Also called divide, water parting.

3. A critical point that marks a division or a change of course; a turning point: "a watershed in modern American history, a time that ... forever changed American social attitudes" (Robert Reinhold).

[Probably translation of German Wasserscheide, water parting, border between watersheds : Wasser, water + Scheide, divide, parting.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

watershed

(ˈwɔːtəˌʃɛd)

1. (Physical Geography) the dividing line between two adjacent river systems, such as a ridge

2. an important period or factor that serves as a dividing line

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

wa•ter•shed

(ˈwɔ tərˌʃɛd, ˈwɒt ər-)

n.

1. the region or area drained by a river, stream, etc.

2. the ridge or crest line dividing two drainage areas.

3. an important point of division or transition.

[1795–1805]

wa·ter·shed

(wô′tər-shĕd′)

1. The entire region that is drained by a river system.

2. A ridge forming a boundary between two different river systems.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

watershed

1. divide

2. Land drained by a river and its tributaries.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	watershed - a ridge of land that separates two adjacent river systems water parting, divide line - a spatial location defined by a real or imaginary unidimensional extent continental divide - the watershed of a continent (especially the watershed of North America formed by a series of mountain ridges extending from Alaska to Mexico)
	2.	watershed - the entire geographical area drained by a river and its tributaries; an area characterized by all runoff being conveyed to the same outlet; "flood control in the Missouri basin" catchment area, catchment basin, drainage area, drainage basin, river basin, basin detention basin - a storage site (such as a small reservoir) that delays the flow of water downstream retention basin - a storage site similar to a detention basin but the water in storage is permanently obstructed from flowing downstream geographic area, geographic region, geographical area, geographical region - a demarcated area of the Earth
	3.	watershed - an event marking a unique or important historical change of course or one on which important developments depend; "the agreement was a watershed in the history of both nations" turning point, landmark juncture, occasion - an event that occurs at a critical time; "at such junctures he always had an impulse to leave"; "it was needed only on special occasions" Fall of Man - (Judeo-Christian mythology) when Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden, God punished them by driving them out of the Garden of Eden and into the world where they would be subject to sickness and pain and eventual death road to Damascus - a sudden turning point in a person's life (similar to the sudden conversion of the Apostle Paul on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus of arrest Christians)

watershed

noun turning point, defining moment, pivotal moment Her election in 1990 was a watershed in Irish politics.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

watershed

noun

The region drained by a river system:

basin.

Translations

خَط تَقسيم المِياه

vandskel

Wasserscheide Wendepunkt

λεκάνη απορροής υδροκρίτης

cuenca

valuma-aluevedenjakaja

vízválasztó

vatnaskil

spartiacque svolta

vannskille

водораздел

rozvodie

su bölümü çizgisi

分水岭

watershed

[ˈwɔːtəʃed] N

1. (Geog) → línea f divisoria de las aguas; (= basin) → cuenca f
the watershed of the Duero → la cuenca del Duero

2. (fig) (= decisive moment) → momento m clave, momento m decisivo; (= landmark) → hito m
she had reached a watershed in her career → había llegado a un momento clave or decisivo en su carrera profesional
the talks marked a watershed in the peace process → las negociaciones marcaron un hito en el proceso de paz

3. (Brit) (TV) the nine o'clock watershed comienzo de la programación televisiva para adultos a las nueve de la noche

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

watershed

[ˈwɔːtə^rʃɛd] n

(in geography) → ligne f de partage des eaux

(= important moment) → tournant m

(= TV cutoff time) en Grande Bretagne, heure (21h) avant laquelle les émissions réservées aux adultes sont interdites à la diffusion
after the watershed → après 21 heures

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

watershed

[ˈwɔːtəˌʃɛd] n (Geog) (also) (fig) → spartiacque m inv

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

water

(ˈwoːtə) noun

a colourless, transparent liquid compound of hydrogen and oxygen, having no taste or smell, which turns to steam when boiled and to ice when frozen. She drank two glasses of water; `Are you going swimming in the sea?' `No, the water's too cold'; Each bedroom in the hotel is supplied with hot and cold running water; (also adjective) The plumber had to turn off the water supply in order to repair the pipe; transport by land and water.

verb

1. to supply with water. He watered the plants.

2. (of the mouth) to produce saliva. His mouth watered at the sight of all the food.

3. (of the eyes) to fill with tears. The dense smoke made his eyes water.

ˈwaters noun plural

a body of water such as the sea, a river etc. the stormy waters of the bay.

ˈwatery adjective

1. like water; diluted. a watery fluid.

2. (of eyes) full of fluid eg because of illness, cold winds etc.

3. (of a colour) pale. eyes of a watery blue.

ˈwateriness noun

water boatman

a water insect with oarlike back legs that propel it through the water.

ˈwaterborne adjective

carried or transmitted by water. Typhoid is a waterborne disease.

ˈwater-closet noun

(abbreviation WC (dabljuˈsiː) ) a lavatory.

ˈwater-colour noun

a type of paint which is thinned with water instead of with oil.

ˈwatercress noun

a herb which grows in water and is often used in salads.

ˈwaterfall noun

a natural fall of water from a height such as a rock or a cliff.

ˈwaterfowl noun or noun plural

a bird or birds which live on or beside water.

ˈwaterfront noun

that part of a town etc which faces the sea or a lake. He lives on the waterfront.

ˈwaterhole noun

a spring or other place where water can be found in a desert or other dry country. The elephant drank from the waterhole.

ˈwatering-can noun

a container used when watering plants.

water level

the level of the surface of a mass of water. The water level in the reservoir is sinking/rising.

ˈwaterlily – plural ˈwaterlilies – noun

a water plant with broad flat floating leaves.

ˈwaterlogged adjective

(of ground) soaked in water.

water main

a large underground pipe carrying a public water supply.

ˈwater-melon

a type of melon with green skin and red flesh.

ˈwaterproof adjective

not allowing water to soak through. waterproof material.

noun

a coat made of waterproof material. She was wearing a waterproof.

verb

to make (material) waterproof.

ˈwatershed noun

an area of high land from which rivers flow in different directions into different basins.

ˈwater-skiing noun

the sport of skiing on water, towed by a motor-boat.

ˈwater-ski verb

ˈwatertight adjective

made in such a way that water cannot pass through.

water vapour

water in the form of a gas, produced by evaporation.

ˈwaterway noun

a channel, eg a canal or river, along which ships can sail.

ˈwaterwheel noun

a wheel moved by water to work machinery etc.

ˈwaterworks noun singular or plural

a place in which water is purified and stored before distribution to an area.

hold water

to be convincing. His explanation won't hold water.

in(to) deep water

in(to) trouble or danger. I got into deep water during that argument.

water down

to dilute. This milk has been watered down.

References in classic literature ?

On the opposite slope of the watershed they came down into a level country where were great stretches of forest and many streams, and through these great stretches they ran steadily, hour after hour, the sun rising higher and the day growing warmer.

He was oppressed with a sense of calamity happening, if it were not calamity already happened; and as he crossed the last watershed and dropped down into the valley toward camp, he proceeded with greater caution.

View in context

The creeks that drain that side the Klondike watershed are just as likely to have gold as the creeks that drain this side."

View in context

Grey Beaver had crossed the great watershed between Mackenzie and the Yukon in the late winter, and spent the spring in hunting among the western outlying spurs of the Rockies.

View in context

The phantom of bigness, which London encourages, was laid for ever when she paced from the hall at Howards End to its kitchen and heard the rains run this way and that where the watershed of the roof divided them.

View in context

The line of watershed, which divides the inland streams from those on the coast, has a height of about 3000 feet, and runs in a north and south direction at the distance of from eighty to a hundred miles from the sea-side.

View in context

The agreement with the Lions clubs is a renewal of the commitment of the private organizations through its regional chairman making them all 'muyong' holders of the watershed, committing to help protect and preserve the reservations.

Baguio Water District, social clubs move to save forest

LET this column repeat the warning it issued on May 16 that unless the government stops logging in the Angat Dam watershed, orders its immediate reforestation and cleans the heavily silted dam, Metro Manila residents will surely suffer again a severe water shortage and a possible deadly flooding in the coming rainy days.

This column repeats its warning

About P200,000 worth of illegally cut timber were seized on May 30 by forest guards manning the Angat Dam Watershed, a belated report says.

Forest guards confiscate illegal logs abandoned at Angat forest

Islamabad -- Sustainable watershed management brings the management of water, land, crops and energy together for sustainable agriculture and improved livelihood of watershed communities.

Sustainable watershed management practices to enhance resilience of natural resources: Chairman PARC

M2 EQUITYBITES-November 20, 2018-Learning Technologies Group Acquires Remaining Stake in Watershed Systems