arch dam
noun
a dam resisting the pressure of impounded water by an arch principle, especially a dam having in plan the form of a single arch abutted by natural rock formations.
Words nearby arch dam
arcform,
arch,
arch beam,
arch board,
arch brace,
arch dam,
arch head,
arch of aorta,
arch of foot,
arch of palate,
arch of triumph
British Dictionary definitions for arch dam
arch dam
noun
a dam that is curved in the horizontal plane and usually built of concrete, in which the horizontal thrust is taken by abutments in the sides of a valley. Arch dams must be built on solid rock, as a yielding material would cause a failure