catchment
/ˈkætʃ.mənt ˌeə.ri.ə/ (bre, ipa) · [kˈætʃmənt] /ˈkætʃ.mənt ˌer.i.ə/ (ame, ipa) · [kˈætʃmənt] /ˈkach-mənt How to pronounce catchment (audio) ˈkech-/ (ame, mw)
catchment — noun
1. land where rain and small streams end up in one lake, reservoir, or river system
land where rain and small streams end up in one lake, reservoir, or river system.
Last winter's storms filled the catchment above Lake Nara.
catchment + above a lake or reservoir
Engineers fenced the catchment after cattle dirtied the stream.
protect a catchment from pollution
From the hilltop, Sari traced the catchment feeding the reservoir.
A new road cut across the catchment and increased flooding downstream.
Maps showed how three farms shared the same catchment.
- drainage basin
more technical geography term that focuses on where water drains
- watershed
common North American equivalent, though it can also mean the dividing ridge
- river basin
often used for larger systems centred on a major river
用法筆記
Often appears in environmental planning, especially with rivers, reservoirs, and flood reports. Distinguish from senses 2 and 3, which describe service areas rather than physical drainage land.
2. the neighbourhoods from which a school normally takes its pupils.
the neighbourhoods from which a school normally takes its pupils.
Lotte moved house to stay inside the school's catchment.
inside a school's catchment
Only children in this catchment can apply for the free bus.
The council redrew the catchment after the new primary school opened.
Families checked the catchment map before renting a flat nearby.
Being outside the catchment meant Diego had to choose another school.
- school district
common American term for the area tied to a public school system
- attendance zone
focuses on the official area assigned to a school
- admissions area
used when the emphasis is on who may apply or be offered places
用法筆記
Mostly British; American English often says 'school district' or 'attendance zone'. Distinguish from sense 1, which is about water flow, and from sense 3, which is about medical provision.
3. the district from which a hospital or clinic usually receives the people it trea
the district from which a hospital or clinic usually receives the people it treats.
The clinic's catchment stretches across six mountain villages.
clinic or hospital catchment
Nurses visited homes in the catchment before the flu season.
A new bridge brought two islands into the hospital's catchment.
People outside the catchment must use the city emergency unit instead.
William's address put his family in the centre's catchment.
- service area
broader term that can be used beyond medicine as well
- coverage area
stresses the geographical range a service reaches
- referral area
used when patients are sent on to a particular hospital
用法筆記
Common in health-service planning and public administration. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is about who a hospital or clinic is expected to treat, not which school children may attend.