millrace

American  

[mil-reys] / ˈmɪlˌreɪs /

noun

1. the channel in which the current of water driving a mill wheel flows to the mill.

2. the current itself.

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millrace British  

/ ˈmɪlˌreɪs /

noun

1. the current of water that turns a millwheel

2. the channel for this water

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Etymology

Origin of millrace

First recorded in 1470–80; mill ¹ + race ¹

Example Sentences

As Marshall looked over the work on the millrace, he saw something “shining in the bottom … I reached my hand down and picked it up … I was certain it was gold.”

From Los Angeles Times

Like miners standing at a millrace, Californians look for speedy solutions, so the idea that change takes time is “lost in translation,” Baldassare said.

From Los Angeles Times

I’d dropped into the millrace, the ditch where the river water ran to turn the mill’s wheels.

From Literature

The fire is also believed to have killed fish swimming in the neighboring millrace.

From Washington Times

On the south side of the property, there are plans for a trail that would run between the southern border of the site and the recently restored millrace.

From Washington Times