sluice

[ sloos ]

/ slus /

noun

an artificial channel for conducting water, often fitted with a gate (sluice gate) at the upper end for regulating the flow.

the body of water held back or controlled by a sluice gate.

any contrivance for regulating a flow from or into a receptacle.

a channel, especially one carrying off surplus water; drain.

a stream of surplus water.

an artificial stream or channel of water for moving solid matter: a lumbering sluice.

Also called sluice box. Mining. a long, sloping trough or the like, with grooves on the bottom, into which water is directed to separate gold from gravel or sand.

verb (used with object), sluiced, sluic·ing.

to let out (water) by or as if by opening a sluice.

to drain (a pond, lake, etc.) by or as if by opening a sluice.

to open a sluice upon.

to flush or cleanse with a rush of water: to sluice the decks of a boat.

Mining. to wash in a sluice.

to send (logs) down a sluiceway.

verb (used without object), sluiced, sluic·ing.

to flow or pour through or as if through a sluice.

Origin of sluice

1300–50; Middle English scluse (noun) < Old French escluse < Late Latin exclūsa, a water barrier, noun use of feminine of Latin exclūsus, past participle of exclūdere to exclude

OTHER WORDS FROM sluice

sluice·like, adjective un·der·sluice, noun un·sluiced, adjective

Words nearby sluice

sluggard, sluggardly, slugger, slugging average, sluggish, sluice, sluicegate, sluiceway, sluit, slum, slumber

Example sentences from the Web for sluice-box

He was off up on Eldorado somewhere, shovelling dirt into a sluice-box for ten dollars a day.

The Trail of '98 |Robert W. Service
He dashed back inside as soon as he saw Bruce jump out of the sluice-box.

The Man from the Bitter Roots |Caroline Lockhart
Thim tree calves has got a hide on 'em loike the bottom av a sluice-box.

Snowdrift |James B. Hendryx
Again his hand was reached down to the rippling water at the head of the sluice-box.

The Little Gold Miners of the Sierras and Other Stories |Various

It was with something like reluctance that he tore himself away from the magic of the sluice-box.

The Triumph of John Kars |Ridgwell Cullum

British Dictionary definitions for sluice-box

sluice

/ (sluːs) /

noun

Also called: sluiceway a channel that carries a rapid current of water, esp one that has a sluicegate to control the flow

the body of water controlled by a sluicegate

See sluicegate

mining an inclined trough for washing ore, esp one having riffles on the bottom to trap particles

an artificial channel through which logs can be floated

informal a brief wash in running water

verb

(tr) to draw out or drain (water, etc) from (a pond, etc) by means of a sluice

(tr) to wash or irrigate with a stream of water

(tr) mining to wash in a sluice

(tr) to send (logs, etc) down a sluice

(intr; often foll by away or out) (of water, etc) to run or flow from or as if from a sluice

(tr) to provide with a sluice

Derived forms of sluice

sluicelike, adjective

Word Origin for sluice

C14: from Old French escluse, from Late Latin exclūsa aqua water shut out, from Latin exclūdere to shut out, exclude

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

sluice

noun

verb (used with object), sluiced, sluic·ing.

verb (used without object), sluiced, sluic·ing.

Origin of sluice

OTHER WORDS FROM sluice

Words nearby sluice

Example sentences from the Web for sluice-box

British Dictionary definitions for sluice-box

noun

verb

Derived forms of sluice

Word Origin for sluice

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

sluice

noun

verb (used with object), sluiced, sluic·ing.

verb (used without object), sluiced, sluic·ing.

Origin of sluice

OTHER WORDS FROM sluice

Words nearby sluice

Example sentences from the Web for sluice-box

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for sluice-box

noun

verb

Derived forms of sluice

Word Origin for sluice

British Dictionary definitions for sluice-box