aqueduct
Americannoun
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Civil Engineering.
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a conduit or artificial channel for conducting water from a distance, usually by means of gravity.
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a bridgelike structure that carries a water conduit or canal across a valley or over a river.
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Anatomy. a canal or passage through which liquids pass.
noun
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a conduit used to convey water over a long distance, either by a tunnel or more usually by a bridge
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a structure, usually a bridge, that carries such a conduit or a canal across a valley or river
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a channel in an organ or part of the body, esp one that conveys a natural body fluid
Etymology
Origin of aqueduct
< Medieval Latin aquēductus < Latin aquae ductus a drawing off of water. See aqua, duct
Explanation
An aqueduct is a bridge-like system built to move water from one location to another. The ancient Romans were particularly famous for their aqueducts and some still stand today. The Romans didn't invent aqueducts, but they did help spawn the English word for one. Aqueduct comes from the Latin word aquæductus, which itself is from the roots aqua, meaning water, and ducere, meaning "to lead." Because of the root word aqua, there is a tendency to try to spell aqueduct with an A in place of the E, but now you'll know better.
Vocabulary lists containing aqueduct
Lead the Way: Duc and Duct
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Vocabulary from Beyoncé's "Lemonade"
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Elements of the Universe: Aqua ("Water")
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Eric Tillemans, DWP’s interim aqueduct manager, told the state board that the city’s studies have found Mono Lake’s levels are “more dependent on precipitation, evaporation and runoff than any other factors.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026
It's a chilly mid-winter afternoon in Segovia, in central Spain, and tourists are gathered at the foot of the city's Roman aqueduct, gazing up at its famous arches and taking selfies.
From BBC • Feb. 9, 2025
Most of L.A. city’s water comes from three sources: The Owens Valley, through its own aqueduct; the Colorado River, under a multi-state agreement overseen by the federal government; and the State Water Project.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2025
Including aqueduct reservoirs, the city can store more than 91 billion gallons across its vast infrastructure.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 10, 2025
Then he realized it must be an aqueduct.
From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
