sluice

American  

[sloos] / slus /

noun

1. an artificial channel for conducting water, often fitted with a gate sluice gate at the upper end for regulating the flow.

2. the body of water held back or controlled by a sluice gate.

3. any contrivance for regulating a flow from or into a receptacle.

4. a channel, especially one carrying off surplus water; drain.

5. a stream of surplus water.

6. an artificial stream or channel of water for moving solid matter.

   a lumbering sluice.

7. Also called sluice box.  Mining. a long, sloping trough or the like, with grooves on the bottom, into which water is directed to separate gold from gravel or sand.

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verb (used with object)

sluiced, sluicing

1. to let out (water) by or as if by opening a sluice.

2. to drain (a pond, lake, etc.) by or as if by opening a sluice.

3. to open a sluice upon.

4. to flush or cleanse with a rush of water.

   to sluice the decks of a boat.

5. Mining. to wash in a sluice.

6. to send (logs) down a sluiceway.

verb (used without object)

sluiced, sluicing

1. to flow or pour through or as if through a sluice.

sluice British  

/ sluːs /

noun

1. Also called: sluiceway.  a channel that carries a rapid current of water, esp one that has a sluicegate to control the flow

2. the body of water controlled by a sluicegate

3. See sluicegate

4. mining an inclined trough for washing ore, esp one having riffles on the bottom to trap particles

5. an artificial channel through which logs can be floated

6. informal a brief wash in running water

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verb

1. (tr) to draw out or drain (water, etc) from (a pond, etc) by means of a sluice

2. (tr) to wash or irrigate with a stream of water

3. (tr) mining to wash in a sluice

4. (tr) to send (logs, etc) down a sluice

5. (intr; often foll by away or out) (of water, etc) to run or flow from or as if from a sluice

6. (tr) to provide with a sluice

Other Word Forms

• sluicelike
  adjective
• undersluice
  noun
• unsluiced
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of sluice

1300–50; Middle English scluse (noun) < Old French escluse < Late Latin exclūsa, a water barrier, noun use of feminine of Latin exclūsus, past participle of exclūdere to exclude

Explanation

Anything that resembles a water slide with a gate is a sluice — a narrow channel that controls water flow. The word originally comes from an old English word meaning a narrow channel that controlled a flow of water, usually to a watermill, and it still has that meaning. A sluice can also mean a splash — often with cold water and usually done with some vigor. Torture victims in movies sometimes have their faces sluiced to bring them round for further questioning.

Example Sentences

People on social media brandish gold-flecked pans and nuggets while showing off their equipment, ranging from old-fashioned picks to gold-separating sluice boxes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 13, 2025

Other heavy construction equipment including excavators and sluice and slurry pumps were brought in, as well as technical experts and "several hundred tons of gravel and earth", the US Army said.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2025

Satellite images showed water washing over damaged sluice gates.

From Washington Times • Jun. 6, 2023

Both the climbing wall and trampoline are $12, and a bag of rough at the mining sluice is $8.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 1, 2023

She pulled the sluice room door behind her, and tied the heavy rubber apron around her waist.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan