Great Divide
2
6.8
- noun
- /ɡreɪt dɪˈvaɪd/
:
Gran Divisoria
- The Great Divide forms the natural boundary between waters flowing to the Pacific Ocean and those that flow to the Atlantic.
Examples
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We began to climb the Great Divide.
Blog text (22) -
Alas, we've come to a great divide.
Blog text (2) -
History built up to this great divide.
Blog text (8) -
This is the great divide.
Blog text (5) -
Bridging the Great Divide
Academic text (2004) -
Hikers often seek the breathtaking views along the Great Divide, where rivers split in their journey to different oceans.
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The Great Divide is an essential geographical feature for understanding North America's water drainage system.
Synonyms
1
7.4
A line of high land on a continent that separates rivers flowing to different oceans
A high mountain line that separates rivers flowing to the Pacific from those flowing to the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'great' = large/major and 'divide' = a ridge that separates river systems, so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a major geographical ridge separating waters (the continental divide). Although it is a proper name for a specific feature, the referent is transparently built from its constituents and follows a straightforward, cross-linguistically common pattern.
Etymology
Great Divide comes from a simple picture: a very high mountain ridge that splits the land so water on one side flows to the Pacific and water on the other side flows to the Atlantic or Arctic. So Great Divide means the main line in North America that divides where rivers drain to different oceans.