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

But decades of over-use, coupled with years of drought, have put crippling strain on a watercourse whose management has always been based on an over-allocation of available resources.

From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026

Due to the possibility of river pollution, the council advised the public not to enter the watercourse of the rivers and not allow their dogs to swim in the water until the investigations were complete.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

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

The road was more like a watercourse than a highway.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman