What is "water parting"

Watershed \Wa"ter*shed`\, n. [Cf. G. wasserscheide; wasser water + scheide a place where two things separate, fr. scheiden to separate.]

1. The whole region or extent of country which contributes to the supply of a river or lake.

2. The line of division between two adjacent rivers or lakes with respect to the flow of water by natural channels into them; the natural boundary of a basin; -- called also divide and water parting.

3. a point in time marking an important transition between two situations, or phases of an activity; a turning point.

Divide \Di*vide"\, n. A dividing ridge of land between the tributaries of two streams; also called watershed and water parting. A divide on either side of which the waters drain into two different oceans is called a continental divide.

n. a ridge of land that separates two adjacent river systems [syn: watershed, divide]