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.

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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

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Etymology

Origin of shadoof

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

Example Sentences

Steam, no doubt, is ultimately to drive out the shadoof, ancient as it is.

From Round the World by Carnegie, Andrew

One of the most common sights along the Nile is the shadoof.

From Birdseye Views of Far Lands by Nichols, James T. (James Thomas)

The camp of the "Forty Thieves" had been finished some time since: the gardens were flourishing, and I erected a "shadoof," or Egyptian double bucket and lever for irrigation.

From Ismailia by Baker, Samuel White, Sir

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

The commonest of these machines is the shadoof.

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