WATERS

[plural] [noun]A country's waters are the area of sea that is near to it and belongs to it.St Lucia depends on clean coastal waters because fishing and tourism provide much of its income.In the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico, oil rigs attract shoals of fish, and fishermen too.(figurative) After the Wall Street crash, the American economy moved into uncharted waters (= a situation not experienced before and where there is nothing to lead you in the right direction).(figurative) In the last two chapters of the book, she enters the murky waters of (= complicated areas of thought about) male sexuality.(old use) The waters, esp. in the past, was often used to refer to water from a spring, esp. when it was being drunk or used for swimming in order to improve the health.In those days, people used to come to this city especially to take (= drink and swim in) the waters.When a pregnant woman's (UK and ANZ) waters break/(US) water breaks, the liquid surrounding the baby in her womb suddenly flows out through her vagina, showing that the baby is almost ready to be born.At around three o'clock her waters broke, so we rushed her into hospital.