What does Watershed mean?

Definitions for Watershed
ˈwɔ tərˌʃɛd, ˈwɒt ər-wa·ter·shed

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word Watershed.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. watershed, water parting, dividenoun

    a ridge of land that separates two adjacent river systems

  2. river basin, basin, watershed, drainage basin, catchment area, catchment basin, drainage areanoun

    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"

  3. landmark, turning point, watershednoun

    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"

GCIDE

  1. Watershednoun

    a point in time marking an important transition between two situations, or phases of an activity; a turning point.

  2. Watershednoun

    The line of division between two adjacent rivers or lakes with respect to the flow of water by natural channels into them; the natural boundary of a basin; -- called also divide and water parting.

Wiktionary

  1. watershednoun

    The topographical boundary dividing two adjacent catchment basins, such as a ridge or a crest.

  2. watershednoun

    A region of land within which water flows down into a specified body, such as a river, lake, sea, or ocean; a drainage basin.

  3. watershednoun

    A critical point marking a change in course or development.

  4. watershednoun

    The time after which material of more adult nature (violence, swear words, sex) may be broadcast on television or radio, either one laid down or one contrived (e.g. when children are not watching...)

  5. Etymology: a calque of Wasserscheide, a compound of Wasser + Scheide.

ChatGPT

  1. watershed

    A watershed is a specific land area that drains water into a river, lake, sea, or other bodies of water, typically separated from other systems by mountain ranges or hills. It is an important geographic area influencing water quality and ecosystem health, often playing a crucial role in storing and filtering water, and supporting a variety of plant and animal life.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Watershednoun

    the whole region or extent of country which contributes to the supply of a river or lake

  2. Watershednoun

    the line of division between two adjacent rivers or lakes with respect to the flow of water by natural channels into them; the natural boundary of a basin

  3. Etymology: [Cf. G. wasserscheide; wasser water + scheide a place where two things separate, fr. scheiden to separate.]

Wikidata

  1. Watershed

    In broadcasting, watershed is the point in time after which programmes with adult content may be broadcast. In the same way that a watershed in British and Australian usage refers to "the ridge or crest line dividing two drainage basins", a broadcasting watershed serves as a dividing line. It divides the day into the overnight period where family-oriented programming suitable for children may be aired and where programming aimed at or suitable for a more adult audience is permitted, though not required. It may also mean the period of time during which programmes with adult content may be broadcast. Examples of adult content include, but are not limited to, graphic violence, horror, strong language, nudity, sexual intercourse, gambling, and drug use, or references to these themes without necessarily portraying them. In most countries, the same set of rules also apply to radio advertisements and television commercials, both for the content of the commercial and the nature of the product or service being advertised. Watershed has other names in other countries; it is known as safe harbor in the United States, and as adult time in Venezuela.

Suggested Resources

  1. watershed

    Song lyrics by watershed -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by watershed on the Lyrics.com website.

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

How to pronounce Watershed?

How to say Watershed in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of Watershed in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of Watershed in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of Watershed in a Sentence

  1. Filippo Grandi:

    We are at a watershed, where success in managing forced displacement globally requires a new and far more comprehensive approach so that countries and communities aren't left dealing with this alone, but there is reason for some hope. Fourteen countries are already pioneering a new blueprint for responding to refugee situations and in a matter of months a new Global Compact on Refugees will be ready for adoption by the United Nations General Assembly.

  2. John Pallister:

    It was a watershed event in volcanology in a lot of ways, it was when geologists after the eruption worldwide started recognizing these giant debris avalanches, these giant landslides that are now recognized as a major hazard at volcanoes all around the world. Drones, remote instruments like theUSGSspider, creepmeters, strainmeters andtiltmeters help scientists better monitor volcanoes in the hopes history doesn't repeat itself.

  3. Kirsten Gillibrand:

    But this moment of reckoning about our friends and colleagues who have been accused of sexual misconduct is necessary, and it is painful. We must not lose sight that this watershed moment is bigger than any one industry, any one party, or any one person, to achieve lasting change, we will need to fight this everywhere on behalf of everyone by insisting on accountability and working to bring more women into leadership in each industry to fundamentally shift the culture.

  4. Michelle Shively MacIver:

    Our hope is that once the chemistry is fixed there, they( fish) will keep swimming upstream. That will be good for the entire watershed, it's an expensive issue.

  5. Sam Boland-Brien:

    Conditions deteriorated so quickly, there weren't really alternative options. We had to move forward with the curtailment process. We developed an emergency regulation, that resulted in all kinds of surface water users... in the upper part of this watershed having to stop diversions.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

Watershed#1#8939#10000

Translations for Watershed

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

  • نقطة تحولArabic
  • вододелBulgarian
  • The translation of "watershed" to Danish is "vandseperation" or "vandskel," depending on the context. If you mean a significant turning point or event, it could be translated as "skillepunkt." Please specify the context if you need a more precise traDanish
  • Wasserscheide, WendepunktGerman
  • υδροκρίτηςGreek
  • The translation of "watershed" in Esperanto is "akvoparto."Esperanto
  • punto crucial, dos rombos, línea divisoria, momento decisivo, punto de inflexión, hitoSpanish
  • The word "watershed" can be translated to Persian as "حوضه آبریز" (pronounced: huzeye abriz).Persian
  • vedenjakaja, hFinnish
  • tournant décisif, ligne de partage des eauxFrench
  • קו פרשת המיםHebrew
  • The translation of "watershed" to Hungarian is "vízgyűjtő terület."Hungarian
  • The word "watershed" in Armenian is "ջրամիջիչ" (jramijich).Armenian
  • vatnaskilIcelandic
  • spartiacqueItalian
  • The word "watershed" can be translated to Japanese as "分水界" (bunsuikai) when referring to a geographical boundary dividing different drainage basins. If you mean "watershed" in a figurative sense, such as a critical point or turning point, it could bJapanese
  • The word "watershed" can be translated to Kannada as "ಜಲಶೇಪ್" (jalashepa) or "ನೀರಿನ ಬಂಡವಾಳ" (neerina bandavaala), depending on the context. If you meant it in a different context, please let me know!Kannada
  • The term "watershed" can be translated to Latin as "aquaeductus" or "corymbus." However, if you are referring specifically to a geographic or hydrological definition (the area of land that drains into a specific water body), you might use "area drainLatin
  • вододелницаMacedonian
  • vannskille, veiskille, vendepunktNorwegian
  • waterscheiding, keerpuntDutch
  • The translation of "watershed" to Norwegian is "vannskille."Norwegian
  • The word "watershed" can be translated to Polish as "zlewnia."Polish
  • divisor de águasPortuguese
  • водоразде́л, перело́мный моме́нтRussian
  • skiljeväg, vägskäl, vattendelareSwedish
  • The word "watershed" can be translated to Yiddish as "וואַשערשאַד" (vasher-shad). However, if you are looking for a more contextual translation based on its meaning, you might consider using "וואַטערשייד" (vater-shaid), which refers to a dividing linYiddish
  • The word "watershed" can be translated to Simplified Chinese as "流域".Chinese

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Translation

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"Watershed." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 22 Jan. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/Watershed>.

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