as in canal
an open man-made passageway for water
the Erie Canal was the first watercourse to connect the Hudson River with the Great Lakes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of watercourse
The Marin Municipal Water District completed Kent Lake in 1954 by enlarging a section of Lagunitas Creek’s watercourse and damming the creek’s flow.
—
Jim Holden, The Mercury News, 3 Sep. 2024
The salmon were meant to be released in the Imnaha River, a 77-mile long watercourse in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.
—Zoe Sottile, CNN, 7 Apr. 2024
Living in White Plains, N.Y., in the 1980s, Mrs. Wallace galvanized a broad campaign to rescue the river, at the time an inaccessible 23-mile watercourse that was home to more flotsam, like the carcasses of junked cars and rusted refrigerators, than fauna.
—Sam Roberts, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024
But those boundaries had never stopped moving before or since -- sometimes for good reason, such as facilitating the movements of nomads or access to a watercourse.
—Jérôme Tubiana, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2013
See All Example Sentences for watercourse
Jim Holden, The Mercury News, 3 Sep. 2024
The salmon were meant to be released in the Imnaha River, a 77-mile long watercourse in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.
—Zoe Sottile, CNN, 7 Apr. 2024
Living in White Plains, N.Y., in the 1980s, Mrs. Wallace galvanized a broad campaign to rescue the river, at the time an inaccessible 23-mile watercourse that was home to more flotsam, like the carcasses of junked cars and rusted refrigerators, than fauna.
—Sam Roberts, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024
But those boundaries had never stopped moving before or since -- sometimes for good reason, such as facilitating the movements of nomads or access to a watercourse.
—Jérôme Tubiana, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2013
See All Example Sentences for watercourse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for watercourse
Noun
-
The suspect was found hiding in the water of a canal, beneath a dock, and taken into custody.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Likewise, Guyon’s canal syndrome (ulnar nerve compression at the wrist) and thoracic outlet syndrome (pressure on nerves or blood vessels near the collarbone) can mimic cubital tunnel syndrome.—
Scott Lafee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Architects have found evidence of their use in the pyramids of Egypt and the buildings and aqueducts of the Roman Empire.—
Alcina Johnson Sudagar,
The Conversation,
12 Feb. 2026
-
In 2024, Tonello withdrew 3,203 m3 of water, sourced exclusively from the aqueduct.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Watercourse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/watercourse. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
