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# watershed

«watershed» in Mova's school dictionary: **a line of high land, such as a ridge, that divides two…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 2 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a watershed, watersheds)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A watershed is a line of high land, such as a ridge, that divides two areas whose rivers flow in different directions. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/watershed/#m1)

2) (US) A watershed is the whole area of land whose water drains into one river or lake. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/watershed/#m2)

3) A watershed is an important moment when things change: a watershed in her life. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/watershed/#m3)

4) (UK) The watershed is the time in the evening after which TV programmes for adults can be shown. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/watershed/#m4)

### sense in the lessons

In geography and science lessons about rivers and the water cycle: a watershed collects rain that flows into a river. In history and stories, a watershed moment is a turning point. In UK family life, children's TV should be watched before the watershed. Phrases: watershed moment, river watershed, before the watershed.

### examples

- Rain falling on this side of the hills flows into a different river: the ridge is the watershed. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/watershed/#x1)
- Everything that drains into the lake is its watershed. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/watershed/#x2)
- Joining the team was a watershed in his life. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/watershed/#x3)
- That film is shown after the watershed, so it's not for children. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/watershed/#x4)
- We must keep our watershed clean to have clean water. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/watershed/#x5)
- The discovery was a watershed moment in science. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/watershed/#x6)

### note

Plural: watersheds. The UK meaning (a dividing ridge) and the US meaning (the whole drainage area, UK «catchment» or «drainage basin») differ — a common confusion. «Watershed moment» = turning point.

### In the corpora

- [In the UK the watershed is 9 pm: programmes not suitable for children are not shown on ordinary TV channels before then.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/57-age-ratings-and-why-they-exist/19/)
- [The line of high land between two basins is a watershed.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/world/64-rivers-lakes-and-the-sea/1/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «watershed» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/watershed/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.