weir
weir Lexical Profile
weir Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A low dam built across a river to raise the level of water upstream, regulate its flow, or divert it into a millrace.
"The environmental engineers designed a stepped weir to control the river's seasonal flow while allowing local fish to migrate upstream."
An enclosure or fence of stakes, nets, or branches set in a stream, river, or coastal waters to trap fish.
"Archaeologists discovered the remains of an ancient tidal weir where indigenous fishermen once trapped salmon as the tide receded."
Word Nuance & Usage
Frequently confused with a 'dam'; while a traditional dam completely halts water flow to create a reservoir, a weir is intentionally designed to allow water to continuously flow over its crest to regulate river levels.
• Rhymes for weir
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'wer' meaning 'dam' or 'fence', derived from the Proto-Germanic root '*warją' (enclosure), which shares origins with verbs meaning 'to defend' or 'to protect'.