shadoof

American  

[shah-doof] / ʃɑˈduf /

Or shaduf

noun

1. a device used in Egypt and other Eastern countries for raising water, especially for irrigation, consisting of a long suspended rod with a bucket at one end and a weight at the other.

---

shadoof British  

/ ʃəˈduːf /

noun

1. a mechanism for raising water, consisting of a pivoted pole with a bucket at one end and a counterweight at the other, esp as used in Egypt and the Near East

---

Etymology

Origin of shadoof

First recorded in 1830–40, shadoof is from the Egyptian Arabic word shadūf

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shadoof

This is the shadoof, the same which was used in the time of Moses.

From From Egypt to Japan by Field, Henry M. (Henry Martyn)

Many years ago, when at Gondokoro, I arranged a double shadoof of parallel levers and two galvanised iron buckets of four gallons each, worked by two men.

From Cyprus, as I Saw It in 1879 by Baker, Samuel White, Sir

If he has stolen a shadoof or a plough, he shall give three shekels of silver.

From The Old Testament In the Light of The Historical Records and Legends of Assyria and Babylonia by Pinches, Theophilus Goldridge

There is also a double shadoof worked by two men, and even steam pumps are used in extreme cases where the volume of water desired is unusually large.

From Round the World by Carnegie, Andrew

The man who works the shadoof stands near the water's edge, below the slender arm of the balance.

From Chatterbox, 1906 by Clarke, J. Erskine (John Erskine)