drainage basin

American  

noun

1. the area drained by a river and all its tributaries.

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drainage basin British  

noun

1. another name for catchment area

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drainage basin Scientific  

/ drā′nĭj /

1. An area drained by a river system. A drainage basin includes all areas that gather precipitation water and direct it to a particular stream, stream system, lake, or other body of standing water.

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Etymology

Origin of drainage basin

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

drainage basin

While many hazards have been fixed, there are still cracked or overgrown pathways, a flooded drainage basin, and metal pipes or electrical wires protruding into the recently completed children’s play area.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2024

And although the Ruki's drainage basin makes up only a twentieth of the entire Congo Basin, a fifth of the dissolved organic carbon in the Congo comes from this one tributary.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2023

Negotiators have an opportunity to hammer out an agreement reflecting today’s values and priorities, equipping the drainage basin — which is the size of France — to meet diverse challenges.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 9, 2023

A man, identified by the coroner as Anthony Ray Lopez Sr., 63, of Ontario, was found in the drainage basin and pronounced dead at the scene about 12:04 p.m.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2022

The latter, the remnants of which are represented to-day by Great Salt, Sevier and Utah Lakes, had a drainage basin of some 54,000 sq. m.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 4 "Grasshopper" to "Greek Language" by Various