sluice

[ sloos ]

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.

verb (used with object)

, sluiced, sluic·ing.

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, sluic·ing.

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

sluice

/ sluːs /

noun

1. Also calledsluiceway 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
   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

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

Derived Forms

• ˈsluiceˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• sluicelike adjective
• under·sluice noun
• un·sluiced adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sluice¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of sluice¹

C14: from Old French escluse, from Late Latin exclūsa aqua water shut out, from Latin exclūdere to shut out, exclude

Example Sentences

Far upstream, one of the power companies has opened the dam’s sluices.

From Outside Online

Even if farmers smooth over the top of the soil, underground rubble can act like a barrier or sluice for water, which could make it harder to grow crops.

From Science News

Chef Garcelon and several members of the kitchen staff are standing around, watching the honey sluice out of the centrifuge.

From The Daily Beast

They had aided in opening the sluice-ways of a torrent which was now sweeping every thing before it.

From Project Gutenberg

They died because they refused to open those sluice-ways of blood which the people demanded.

From Project Gutenberg

He finished his strictly utilitarian household labor and went off up the flat to the sluice boxes.

From Project Gutenberg

In a few minutes Uncle Will released him and sent him back to help Lucky at the sluice.

From Project Gutenberg

Once I saw a catfish, gasping for air at the surface of water that had been muddied by the opening of a sluice-way in a dam.

From Project Gutenberg