sluice Hear it!

sluice Definition

sluice (slo̵̅o̅s)

noun

  1. an artificial channel or passage for water, having a gate or valve at its head to regulate the flow, as in a canal or millstream
  2. the water held back by or passing through such a gate
  3. a gate or valve used in opening or closing a sluice; floodgate
  4. any channel, esp. one for excess water
  5. ☆ a sloping trough or flume through which water is run, as in washing gold ore, carrying logs, etc.

Etymology: ME scluse < OFr escluse & LL exclusa < fem. pp. of L excludere, to shut out, exclude

transitive verb sluiced, sluic·ing

  1. to draw off by or as by means of a sluice
    1. to wash with water flowing in or from a sluice
    2. to wash off with a rush of water to sluice a deck with hoses
  2. ☆ to carry (logs, etc.) in a sluice

intransitive verb

to run or flow in or as in a sluice

sluice Synonyms

sluice

n.

  1. A gate

    floodgate, conduit, lock, watergate; see gate.

  2. A trough

    sluiceway, moat, ditch; see channel 1, trench 1.

sluice Usage Examples

Object

  • facility: For a significant period the home did not have a washing machine with sluicing facility.

Converse of object

  • open: Lock gates must always be properly closed before slowly opening the sluices to fill or empty the lock.
  • build: Edwards was also asked to survey the whole river and put a plan together to build a new sluice at Boston.
  • close: The water was built up and stored by closing the two sluices to stop the water flowing downstream.
  • have: The proposed Severn Barrage has sluices to allow water to enter the storage basin behind the dam.

Preposition: at

  • end: A sluice at one end would allow the excess water to escape.

Converse of subject

  • control: The outlet channel became a lagoon controlled by sluices and the mudflats were reclaimed as pasture.

Adjective modifier

  • upper: It was straight through, to wait for the upper sluice to drop and the lower sluice to raise.
  • new: Edwards was also asked to survey the whole river and put a plan together to build a new sluice at Boston.
  • tidal: Disruption of a normal flow regime The major example if the tidal sluice at Cley next the Sea.
  • low: We finalized the time with Barry, he said that the lower sluice was about a foot lower than the road bridge.
  • old: The level of the mill dam has dropped and is now below the level of the old wheel sluice.

Modifies a noun

  • gate: The rusty original sluice paddle gate has survived being buried for 30 years.
  • valve: Water was pouring out of the 12 inch sluice valve.
  • room: Mrs C was lying across a doorway next to the sluice room ( where commodes are rinsed out ).
  • gear: Sluice gear for the ground paddles at the top of the lock.
  • plate: A sluice plate in the center of the dam can be raised to allow release of water.

Noun used with modifier

  • control: Ahead could be seen the official end of navigation the Great Raveley Drain control sluice.
  • wheel: The level of the mill dam has dropped and is now below the level of the old wheel sluice.

Followed by a transitive particle

  • away: Sydney 2000 must be the Olympics that start to sluice away the evils that have built up in the bloated body of the movement.
sluice Quotes

Boston, Boston, Boston! Thou hast naught to boast on, But a Grand Sluice, and a high steeple; c.1500 A proud conceited ignorant people, And a coast where souls are lost on.

—Anonymous

   He nursed the feelings these dull scenes produce, And loved to stop beside the opening sluice; Where the small stream, confined in narrow bound, Ran with a dull, unvaried, sad'ning sound; Where all presented to the eye or ear, Oppressed the soul! with misery, grief, and fear.

—Crabbe, George

Browse dictionary entries near sluice

  1. sluggishness
  2. sluggish
  3. slugging percentage
  4. slugger
  5. sluggard
  6. slugfest
  7. slugabed
  8. slug
  9. sluff
  10. slue
  1. sluiceway
  2. slum
  3. slumber
  4. slumber party
  5. slumberous
  6. slumgullion
  7. slumlord
  8. slump
  9. slung
  10. slung shot