In geography, catchment is the process of collecting water, in particular the process of water flowing from the ground and collecting in a river. Catchment is also the water that is collected in this way.
[technical]
catchment in British English
(ˈkætʃmənt)
noun
1.
the act of catching or collecting water
2.
a structure in which water is collected
3.
the water so collected
4. British
the intake of a school from one catchment area
catchment in American English
(ˈkɛtʃmənt)
noun
1.
the catching or collecting of water, esp. rainfall
2.
a reservoir or other basin for catching water
3.
the water thus caught
Examples of 'catchment' in a sentence
catchment
Most league tables just tell you about the catchment area of schools.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
They accept students from a broader catchment area and across a wider ability range.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Town halls will no longer be able to spy on the public over dog fouling or school catchment areas.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The study of all 119 river catchment areas is still in progress.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Check access to transport links, school catchment areas and local employers.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
They wrongly suspected that she did not live in the school 's catchment area.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
They also claim league tables reflect a school 's catchment area rather than the quality of teaching.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Houses in the school catchment areas sell fastest, and often for well over the asking price.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Houses here are close to parks, the golf course and in the grammar school catchment area.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Ditto for a house in a good school catchment area - but then you knew that.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
You'll be engrossed in an inexplicably vicious conversation about house prices and school catchment areas by then.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The new home was in the catchment area for a decent school but we have now been told that the catchment area has changed.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
And when it comes to resale, we know that being in a good catchment area is worth money.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
You see the catchment area.
The Sun (2015)
We're very conscious that we have a very different catchment area to the west of the centre and all the high street brands are here.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
This sort of thing happens on a weekly basis in my catchment area, which means staff often do not get home until the early hours.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
If the property is big enough to house a family, being in the catchment area of a good school will alsohelp when you come to sell.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
In York, the number of floods increased just when the hill farms in the surrounding river catchment area began draining their land.