51

I've googled for a while and on some sites I've found the word "watershed" as the proposed word. Is it the word that best suits it?

Improve this question
3
  • 11
    A watershed is a line where rain water is divided (i.e. will it flow into one valley to the river there, or to the other valley), so typically found atop hills.
    – Simon Richter
    Commented May 16, 2011 at 10:00
  • 3
    A watershed is the area of land where water drains to a common point. A divide is the line that divides watersheds.
    – Jay Elston
    Commented May 16, 2011 at 22:30
  • @JayElston While ODO gives both senses, the primary one is the dividing feature. en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/watershed In my experience of UK English we would genereally use 'water catchment' for the second sense.
    – Spagirl
    Commented Jan 17, 2017 at 11:00

5 Answers 5

Reset to default
109

In geography, a confluence is the meeting of two or more bodies of water. It usually refers to the point where two streams flow together, merging into a single stream.

Improve this answer
6
  • +1 Nice answer... This question also reminded me of when i used to study Geography earlier in my student career :D
    – Alenanno
    Commented May 16, 2011 at 8:49
  • Indeed it reminded of my geography classes too while at primary school...but since it's way too back...I forgot it.
    – mannyee
    Commented May 16, 2011 at 9:57
  • 1
    I didn't seriously study any geography, but I do use Atlassian's Wiki which is named Confluence.
    – Ed Guiness
    Commented May 16, 2011 at 10:21
  • Flannery O'Conner wrote that "confluence" was one of her favorite words. Easy to see why - it's a strong metaphor.
    – The Raven
    Commented May 16, 2011 at 13:44
  • 1
    @The Raven Yes it is, and onomatopoeic, to my ears at least.
    – Ed Guiness
    Commented May 16, 2011 at 15:26
10

You can also use the word junction, as in the

junction of the Grand and the Green

near Moab, Utah.

Improve this answer
5

It can either be a tributary or a distributary, where a river joins another or separate from one respectively.

It is called a confluence. A tributary is a smaller river joining a larger one. A distributary is a river flowing into the sea.

Improve this answer
1
  • More specifically, a tributary is a small river or stream joining the main river
    – user8755
    Commented May 17, 2011 at 8:07
1

You could also use the word "fork" which is less formal. A watershed is all of the land area that a given body of water drains.

Improve this answer
1
  • 15
    Except that a fork takes one and makes two, a confluence takes two and makes one.
    – Ed Guiness
    Commented May 16, 2011 at 9:37
-1

It could also be an "estuary":

[A] partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea.

Improve this answer
1
  • 7
    That's pretty far from "a place where two rivers meet", since it does not require more than one river, and does require the open sea.
    – LarsH
    Commented May 17, 2011 at 1:40

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .