watercourse

American  

[waw-ter-kawrs, -kohrs, wot-er-] / ˈwɔ tərˌkɔrs, -ˌkoʊrs, ˈwɒt ər- /

noun

1. a stream of water, as a river or brook.

2. the bed of a stream that flows only seasonally.

3. a natural channel conveying water.

4. a channel or canal made for the conveyance of water.

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watercourse British  

/ ˈwɔːtəˌkɔːs /

noun

1. a stream, river, or canal

2. the channel, bed, or route along which this flows

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Etymology

Origin of watercourse

First recorded in 1500–10; water + course

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

watercourse

Some have even ditched fishing altogether because it is more profitable to sell the plastic waste they trawl out of the river, the world's second-most powerful watercourse after the Amazon.

From Barron's ● May 20, 2026

This is intended to ensure that the effluent does no damage to the watercourse it flows into.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2024

For the serious racers, there was a kind of 'Le Mans' start, with competitors running around a kilometre to the first watercourse, before putting on their skates.

From BBC ● Jan. 22, 2024

Some advocates have suggested restoring Mexico City’s last remaining natural watercourse, the Magdalena River, but that would have to contend with pollution along the river’s entire length from its source west of the capital.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 18, 2023

The road was more like a watercourse than a highway.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman