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sluicing - 2 dictionary results

sluice

  [sloos] noun, verb, sluiced, sluic⋅ing.
Use sluicing in a Sentence
–noun
1. an artificial channel for conducting water, often fitted with a gate (sluice gate) at the upper end for regulating the flow.
2. the body of water held back or controlled by a sluice gate.
3. any contrivance for regulating a flow from or into a receptacle.
4. a channel, esp. one carrying off surplus water; drain.
5. a stream of surplus water.
6. an artificial stream or channel of water for moving solid matter: a lumbering sluice.
7. 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)
8. to let out (water) by or as if by opening a sluice.
9. to drain (a pond, lake, etc.) by or as if by opening a sluice.
10. to open a sluice upon.
11. to flush or cleanse with a rush of water: to sluice the decks of a boat.
12. Mining. to wash in a sluice.
13. to send (logs) down a sluiceway.
–verb (used without object)
14. to flow or pour through or as if through a sluice.
Origin:
1300–50; ME scluse (n.) < OF escluse < LL exclūsa, a water barrier, n. use of fem. of L exclūsus, ptp. of exclūdere to exclude

Related forms:
sluicelike, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To sluicing
sluice   (slōōs)   
n.  
    1. An artificial channel for conducting water, with a valve or gate to regulate the flow: sluices connecting a reservoir with irrigated fields.
    2. A valve or gate used in such a channel; a floodgate: open sluices to flood a dry dock. Also called sluice gate.
  2. A body of water impounded behind a floodgate.
  3. A sluiceway.
  4. A long inclined trough, as for carrying logs or separating gold ore.
v.   sluiced, sluic·ing, sluic·es

v.   tr.
  1. To flood or drench with or as if with a flow of released water.
  2. To wash with water flowing in a sluice: sluicing sediment for gold.
  3. To draw off or let out by a sluice: sluice floodwater.
  4. To send (logs, for example) down a sluice.
v.   intr.
To flow out from or as if from a sluice.

[Middle English scluse, from Old French escluse, from Late Latin exclūsa, from Latin, feminine past participle of exclūdere, to shut out; see exclude.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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