basin

American  

[bey-suhn] / ˈbeɪ sən /

noun

• basins
  plural

1. a circular container with a greater width than depth, becoming smaller toward the bottom, used chiefly to hold water or other liquid, especially for washing.

2. any container of similar shape, as the pan of a balance.

3. the quantity held by such a container.

   We need another basin of water to dilute the mixture.

4. a natural or artificial hollow place containing water.

5. a partially enclosed, sheltered area along a shore, often partly man-made or dredged to a greater depth, where boats may be moored.

   a yacht basin.

6. Geology. an area in which the strata dip from the margins toward a common center.

7. Physical Geography.

   1. a hollow or depression in the earth's surface, wholly or partly surrounded by higher land.

      river basin.

   2. drainage basin.

8. Botany. the depression in an apple, pear, or other pome at the end opposite the stem.

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basin British  

/ ˈbeɪsən /

noun

1. a round container open and wide at the top with sides sloping inwards towards the bottom or base, esp one in which liquids are mixed or stored

2. Also called: basinful.  the amount a basin will hold

3. a washbasin or sink

4. any partially enclosed or sheltered area where vessels may be moored or docked

5. the catchment area of a particular river and its tributaries or of a lake or sea

6. a depression in the earth's surface

7. geology a part of the earth's surface consisting of rock strata that slope down to a common centre

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basin Scientific  

/ bā′sĭn /

1. A region drained by a river and its tributaries.

2. A low-lying area on the Earth's surface in which thick layers of sediment have accumulated. Some basins are bowl-shaped while others are elongate. Basins form through tectonic processes, especially in fault-bordered intermontane areas or in areas where the Earth's crust has warped downwards. They are often a source of valuable oil.

3. An artificially enclosed area of a river or harbor designed so that the water level remains unaffected by tidal changes.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subbasin
  noun
• basinal
  adjective
• basined
  adjective
• basinlike
  adjective
• interbasin
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• basins
  plural

Etymology

Origin of basin

1175–1225; Middle English bacin < Old French < Late Latin bac ( c ) īnum ( bacc ( a ) water vessel, back ³ + -īnum -ine ¹ ); perhaps further related in Latin to beaker

Explanation

A basin is a container that holds water and is used for washing, but you probably just call it your bathroom sink. You can think of basinas something shaped like a bowl. If you're going for an old-fashioned ring, say "wash basin." If you’re in England, you might use a basin for cooking. The word basin also has various geological senses, particularly a depression in the ground or ocean floor. A basin is also the spot where a river drains — like the famed Mississippi River Basin. That’s one big bowl!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

basin basins

History has already shown the Trishuli River basin to be volatile, Thakkar says, pointing to how it had been hit by floods in the last two years.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

In recent years, however, unusually dry conditions across the Rio Grande basin have placed growing pressure on those water supplies.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 3, 2026

The treaty governs the use of water from six rivers, whose headwaters originate in India but flow into Pakistan as part of the Indus basin -- a resource relied on by hundreds of millions.

From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026

In summer, the area is frequently affected by the Washoe Zephyr, a gusty afternoon wind that descends from the Sierra Nevada mountains in the west, blowing across the high desert basin around Reno.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

I bring Lou Ann a basin of hot water to soak her feet.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

New dams and debris basins turned the vast natural waterways and springs and creeks of old L.A. into a chutes-and-ladders system to divert and hold back water and mud, before the next time.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

The Central Water Commission is monitoring 2,485 glacial lakes larger than 10 hectares across India's Himalayan river basins, the government said.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

Records tumbled in overheated basins like the Atlantic and Mediterranean and also the tropical Pacific, where the strongest El Nino weather pattern in the modern era is fast accumulating strength.

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

Before the full-scale war, her small business made outdoor furniture and ornaments such as benches, flower pots and wash basins.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

People stand in line on the saturated ground, waiting to fill buckets, basins and containers from a row of taps on the outside timber wall.

From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell

Related Words

• bowl
• lagoon
• pan
• pool
• pot
• tub
• valley
• watershed