Definition of continental divide Continental divide

con•ti•nen•tal di•vide

We found 3 definitions of continental divide from 3 different sources.

What does continental divide mean?

Noun
continental divide - the watershed of a continent (especially the watershed of North America formed by a series of mountain ridges extending from Alaska to Mexico)
		water parting, divide, watershed a serious disagreement between two groups of people (typically producing tension or hostility)
		north america the nations of the North American continent collectively

= synonym
= antonym
= related word

continental divide (Noun)
A line of elevated terrain that divides a watershed or a continent, so that water flowing on either side eventually travel to separate bodies of water.

A continental divide is a line of elevated terrain which forms a border between two watersheds such that water falling on one side of the line eventually travels to one ocean or body of water, and water on the other side travels to another, generally on the opposite side of the continent. Because the exact border between bodies of water is usually not clearly defined, the continental divide is not always definite for any continent (The International Hydrographic Organization's publication "Limits of Oceans and Seas" defines exact boundaries of oceans, but it is not universally recognized). Moreover, some rivers empty into deserts or inland seas, and thus do not end up in the oceans.

continental divide in sign language