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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Watershed \Wa"ter*shed`\, n. [Cf. G. wasserscheide; wasser water
scheide a place where two things separate, fr. scheiden to
separate.]
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1. The whole region or extent of country which contributes to
the supply of a river or lake.
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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}.
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3. a point in time marking an important transition between
two situations, or phases of an activity; a turning point.
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Divide \Di*vide"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Divided}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Dividing}.] [L. dividere, divisum; di- = dis- root
signifying to part; cf. Skr. vyadh to pierce; perh. akin to
L. vidua widow, and E. widow. Cf. {Device}, {Devise}.]
1. To part asunder (a whole); to sever into two or more parts
or pieces; to sunder; to separate into parts.
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Divide the living child in two. --1 Kings iii.
25.
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2. To cause to be separate; to keep apart by a partition, or
by an imaginary line or limit; as, a wall divides two
houses; a stream divides the towns.
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Let it divide the waters from the waters. --Gen. i.
6.
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3. To make partition of among a number; to apportion, as
profits of stock among proprietors; to give in shares; to
distribute; to mete out; to share.
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True justice unto people to divide. --Spenser.
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Ye shall divide the land by lot. --Num. xxxiii.
54.
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4. To disunite in opinion or interest; to make discordant or
hostile; to set at variance.
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If a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom
can not stand. --Mark iii.
24.
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Every family became now divided within itself.
--Prescott.
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5. To separate into two parts, in order to ascertain the
votes for and against a measure; as, to divide a
legislative house upon a question.
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6. (Math.) To subject to arithmetical division.
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7. (Logic) To separate into species; -- said of a genus or
generic term.
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8. (Mech.) To mark divisions on; to graduate; as, to divide a
sextant.
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9. (Music) To play or sing in a florid style, or with
variations. [Obs.] --Spenser.

Syn: To sever; dissever; sunder; cleave; disjoin; disunite;
detach; disconnect; part; distribute; share.
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Divide \Di*vide"\, v. i.
1. To be separated; to part; to open; to go asunder.
--Milton.
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The Indo-Germanic family divides into three groups.
--J. Peile.
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2. To cause separation; to disunite.
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A gulf, a strait, the sea intervening between
islands, divide less than the matted forest.
--Bancroft.
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3. To break friendship; to fall out. --Shak.
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4. To have a share; to partake. --Shak.
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5. To vote, as in the British Parliament, by the members
separating themselves into two parties (as on opposite
sides of the hall or in opposite lobbies), that is, the
ayes dividing from the noes.
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The emperors sat, voted, and divided with their
equals. --Gibbon.
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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}.
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