catchment

noun

catch·​ment ˈkach-mənt 

ˈkech-

1

: something that catches water

also : the amount of water caught

2

: the action of catching water

Examples of catchment in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The department’s wildlife water development program began in the 1940s as a way to bolster quail populations for hunting season, but in an era of megadrought and increasing temperatures, the program has grown from just a handful of systems around Phoenix to over 3,000 catchments across the state. —John Leos, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Station establishment The Kyzylsu catchment feeds the Amu Darya River, a major Central Asian river whose water is almost entirely glacier-fed. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2025

Meanwhile, the New York subway hasn’t slept since 1904, and service-suspending waterfalls are becoming more common in every downpour, as platform vents become catchment basins and flash floods gush down the stairs. —Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2025

The Colorado River catchment, for example, is becoming drier and will likely continue to do so, providing even less water with time. —Ellen Wohl august 20, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing catchment

• catchment area

Rhymes for catchment

• attachment
• detachment
• reattachment

Kids Definition

catchment

noun

catch·​ment ˈkach-mənt 

ˈkech-

1

: the action of catching water

2

: something that catches water