weir
noun
a small dam in a river or stream.
weir
American
[weer]
/ wɪər /
noun
-
weirs
plural
-
a small dam in a river or stream.
-
a fence, as of brush or narrow boards, or a net set in a stream, channel, etc., for catching fish.
Weir
1
British
/ wɪə /
noun
-
Judith. born 1954, Scottish composer: her operas include A Night at the Chinese Opera (1987), and Armida (2005)
-
Peter. born 1944, Australian film director; his films include Dead Poets Society (1989), The Truman Show (1998), and Master and Commander (2003)
weir
2
British
/ wɪə /
noun
-
a low dam that is built across a river to raise the water level, divert the water, or control its flow
-
a series of traps or enclosures placed in a stream to catch fish
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of weir
before 900; Middle English were, Old English wer, derivative of root of werian to defend, dam up
Vocabulary lists containing weir
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"The really critical bit is getting this weir sorted out so the water doesn't just accelerate the channel and create real problems further down the river," Finley said.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
The European eel has seen a 90% decline in the last 30 years, the environmental charity said, and risked injury while leaping up the weir when levels are low.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
He said there was a plan to get out of the water ahead of the weir but the force of the water meant she and the others were carried over it.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
A new channel was created to bypass the last remaining weir on the Ecclesbourne, which is located between Wirksworth and where the river joins the Derwent near Duffield.
From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2025
There was a flash in the sandy lists, like a salmon jumping a weir.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
Scotland's Caroline Weir, who joined Lyon in June from Real Madrid, also made the shortlist after scoring 20 goals in all competitions for the Spanish side.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
The LP opens with “Casablanca,” in which she recounts a run-in with the Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir in New Orleans in the late ’80s.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
Weir and a small crew are sent on a recovery mission after the lost spaceship, the Event Horizon, suddenly reappears in orbit around Neptune, issuing a distress signal.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
Thomas Weir Pauken II, 50, "admitted to being part of a conspiracy to obtain sensitive information from the US government" for China, US Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A Eisenberg said.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
The only slight drawback is that I’m one table over from Brij Nath and Matthew Weir, both of whom slurp cafeteria chili and gargle it in the back of their throats as a joke.
From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon
On Monday the court heard Kane's post-mortem examination confirmed he had died from drowning after going into freezing water at a river with rock weirs and deep pools, where he became trapped by the current.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2025
The study found the highest levels of genetic isolation in rivers that were both polluted with metal and affected by physical barriers such as dams and weirs.
From Science Daily ● May 30, 2024
For example, to harvest fish sustainably, the Passamaquoddy have begun to redeploy traditional fish weirs.
From Science Magazine ● Oct. 25, 2023
The tribunal also said the riverbanks and locations of the proposed weirs were of archaeological interest and significant for cultural heritage.
From Reuters ● Apr. 7, 2023
Eels were caught by equally elaborate weirs, traps set in dead-end side canals, and stone walls across canals with a net placed in an opening of the wall.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
