watershed C1 Topic:Cause, Change & Process Also spelled water-shed US /ˈwɔtɚʃɛd/ UK /ˈwɔːtəʃɛd/ See IPA manual Freq #40894 Meanings 1 noun 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. 2 noun A critical point marking a change in course or development. In the minds of many, 1847 was a watershed year during which Ceres, Pallas, Juno, Vesta, and Astraea were reclassified as asteroids. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · an event marking a unique... turning point 2 noun · a critical point marking a... crossroadsturning point Word family Derived forms culturesheddriveshedfibershedfoodshedlaborshedmegashedmilkshedproblemshedsubwatershedviewshedwalkshedwatershedding Etymology From water + shed. A calque of German Wasserscheide. Topics Cause, Change & Process External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # watershed **Type:** Word **Level:** C1 **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˈwɔtɚʃɛd/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈwɔːtəʃɛd/ **Frequency rank:** 40894 ## Meanings 1. an event marking a unique or important historical change of course or one on which important developments depend 2. A critical point marking a change in course or development. ## Examples - The agreement was a watershed in the history of both nations. - In the minds of many, 1847 was a watershed year during which Ceres, Pallas, Juno, Vesta, and Astraea were reclassified as asteroids. ## Synonyms - turning point - crossroads ## Derived Forms - cultureshed - driveshed - fibershed - foodshed - laborshed - megashed - milkshed - problemshed - subwatershed - viewshed - walkshed - watershedding ## Etymology From water + shed. A calque of German Wasserscheide. ## Topics - Cause, Change & Process markdown