noun
watershed
WAW-tuh-shehd
noun
1
The area of land that drains into a particular river, lake, or sea.
"Farmers upstream can affect water quality throughout the whole watershed."
2
A turning point or critical moment that marks a major change.
"The invention of the internet was a watershed moment in how people communicate."
adj
1
Marking a major, defining change or development.
"It was a watershed year for the company, doubling its revenue."
How to Use Watershed
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the land that drains into a river system, or — more commonly today — a defining turning point.
Common pairings
watershed moment
watershed year
river watershed
Word Forms
watersheds plural
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Etymology
A compound of "water" and "shed," modeled directly on the German word Wasserscheide ("water-divide") — originally describing the ridge of land that separates where rainwater flows to different rivers.