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weir

 - 4 dictionary results

weir

  [weer]
Use weir in a Sentence
–noun
1. a small dam in a river or stream.
2. a fence, as of brush or narrow boards, or a net set in a stream, channel, etc., for catching fish.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME were, OE wer, deriv. of root of werian to defend, dam up
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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weir   (wîr)   
n.  

  1. A fence or wattle placed in a stream to catch or retain fish.

  2. A dam placed across a river or canal to raise or divert the water, as for a millrace, or to regulate or measure the flow.


[Middle English were, from Old English wer; see wer-4 in Indo-European roots.]
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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Word Origin & History

weir 
O.E. wer "dam, fence, enclosure," especially one for catching fish (related to werian "dam up"), from P.Gmc. *warjanan (cf. O.N. ver, O.Fris., M.Du. were, Du. weer, O.H.G. wari, Ger. Wehr "defense, protection," Goth. warjan "to defend, protect"), from PIE *wer- "to cover, shut" (cf. Skt. vatah "enclosure," vrnoti "covers, wraps, shuts;" Lith. uzveriu "to shut, to close;" O.Pers. *pari-varaka "protective;" L. (op)erire "to cover;" O.C.S. vora "sealed, closed," vreti "shut;" O.Ir. feronn "field," prop. "enclosed land").
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia

weir

any control or barrier placed in an open channel to permit measurement of water discharge. The latter may be computed from a formula expressing the discharge in terms of crest length of the weir, depth of flow above the weir, weir geometry, and other factors. A variety of weirs have been used in streams, the so-called sharp-crested and trapezoidal forms being relatively common; but broad-crested, triangular, and contracted weirs are also favoured in certain circumstances. Spillways, controls, and embankments designed to permit discharge measurements are simply different kinds of broad-crested weirs

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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