watershed

English

Etymology

water +‎ shed, a calque of German Wasserscheide, a compound of Wasser (“water”) + Scheide (“divide”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈwɔːtəʃɛd/, SAMPA: /"wO:t@SEd/
• (US) enPR: wôʹtərshĕd, IPA: /ˈwɔtɚʃɛd/, SAMPA: /"wOt@`SEd/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

Wikipedia watershed (plural watersheds)

1. The topographical boundary dividing two adjacent catchment basins, such as a ridge or a crest.
2. (US) 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. A critical point marking a change in course or development.
4. (Canada, UK) 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...)

Synonyms

• (boundary between two adjacent catchment basins): water parting, drainage divide, water divide, divide
• (drainage basin): catchment basin, catchment, catchment area, drainage area, river basin, water basin
• (time after which adult material may be broadcast): safe harbor (US)
• (critical point marking a change in course or development): turning point

Derived terms

• postwatershed
• prewatershed
• watershedding

Translations

boundary between adjacent catchment basins

Bulgarian: вододел (bg) m. Dutch: waterscheiding (nl) f. Finnish: vedenjakaja (fi) French: ligne de partage des eaux (fr) f. German: Wasserscheide (de) f. Greek: υδροκρίτης (el) (ydrokrítis) m. Hebrew: קו פרשת המים (he) m.

Icelandic: vatnaskil (is) n. Italian: spartiacque (it) m. Norwegian: vannskille (no) Portuguese: cumeeira (pt) f. Russian: водораздел (ru) (vodorazdél) m. Spanish: línea divisoria (es) f. Swedish: vattendelare (sv)

drainage basin or catchment basin

Dutch: spaarbekken (nl) n. Finnish: valuma-alue (fi) Greek: λεκάνη απορροής (el) (lekáni aporroís) f. Hebrew: אגן ניקוז (he) m.

Portuguese: bacia hidrográfica (pt) f. Russian: бассейн (ru) (bass'éjn) m. Spanish: cuenca (es) f. Swedish: avrinningsområde (sv) n.

critical point marking a change in course or development

Dutch: keerpunt (nl) m. Finnish: vedenjakaja (fi), h (fi) French: point tournant (fr) f. German: Wendepunkt (de) m.

Hebrew: קו פרשת המים (he) m. Norwegian: vannskille (no) Russian: переломный момент (ru) (p'er'elómnyj mom'ént) m. Spanish: hito (es) m., momento decisivo (es) m., punto crucial (es) m., punto de inflexión (es) m.

time after which adult material may be broadcast

Portuguese: horário nobre (pt)

Spanish: dos rombos (es) m. pl.