basin

[bey-suhn]

noun

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.

basin

/ 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

basin

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.

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of basin¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of basin¹

C13: from Old French bacin , from Late Latin bacchīnon , from Vulgar Latin bacca (unattested) container for water; related to Latin bāca berry

Example Sentences

Even now she longed for a washcloth, a basin of hot water, and some strong soap, so she could give herself a proper scrubbing.

Read more on Literature

“With the gas distribution network already constrained, the U.S. gas market could face supply bottlenecks, price volatility, and a growing dependence on higher-cost supply basins,” analysts at McKinsey said in a report.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“But our upstream neighbors continue clinging to century-old legal positions that ignore today’s reality. Any proposal that doesn’t require every basin state to share in conservation is pure fantasy.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Williams-Derry noted that offshore oil drilling is a speculative and risk-laden venture for oil companies, and prospects are better in fracking basins in Texas and New Mexico.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Bordered by the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa mountains, the desert basin has long been a magnet for conservative retirees and vacationers, including former Republican presidents.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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