# watershed

Pronunciation: US say "WAW-tur-shed" /ˈwɔtɚʃɛd/; UK say "WAW-tuh-shed" /ˈwɔːtəʃɛd/

## Noun

1. An area of land in which water drains down into a particular river, lake, sea, or ocean. *(Canada, US)*
   - Simple: An area of land where rain and streams flow down into one river, lake, or sea.
   - _Fertilizer washing off farms across the watershed is feeding algae blooms in the lake._
   - _The Mississippi River watershed stretches from the Rocky Mountains to the Appalachians._
2. A turning point that marks a decisive change in the course or development of something.
   - Simple: An important moment when things start to change in a big way.
   - _The pandemic proved a watershed for remote work, and many offices never fully reopened._
   - _Historians see the election as a watershed in the country's politics._
4. The boundary in the landscape, such as a ridge or crest, that separates two neighboring drainage basins. *(Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, UK)*
   - Simple: A dividing line, often along a ridge, between areas whose water flows into different rivers or seas.
   - _The Pennines form the main watershed of northern England._
   - _The track follows the watershed for six kilometres, with streams falling away on either side._
5. The time of day from which television or radio may broadcast adult content, such as violence, swearing, or sex, under law or custom. *(British, Canada)*
   - Simple: The time of day after which TV and radio may show things that are not for children.
   - _The drama was moved to a slot after the watershed because of its violent scenes._
   - _Presenters on early-evening radio must keep their language clean until the watershed._

## Adjective

3. Marking a significant development or a change of direction.
   - Simple: Marking an important change or a big step forward.
   - _The court's ruling was a watershed moment for civil rights._
   - _Critics now call her second album a watershed release for the genre._

## Origin

From water + shed; a calque (word-for-word translation) of German Wasserscheide.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/watershed (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).