tailrace

[ teyl-reys ]

noun

1. the race, flume, or channel leading away from a waterwheel or the like.
2. Mining. the channel for conducting tailings or refuse away in water.

tailrace

/ ˈteɪlˌreɪs /

noun

1. a channel that carries water away from a water wheel, turbine, etc Compare headrace
2. mining the channel for removing tailings in water

Word History and Origins

Origin of tailrace¹

First recorded in 1770–80; tail ¹ + race ¹

Example Sentences

Nonetheless, temperatures in the tailrace at Lower Granite are still edging above safe levels for salmon and are even hotter downriver.

From Seattle Times

The John Day dam is the worst, with on average 65 days each summer in which the river exceeds 68 degrees, measured in waters just below the dam, known as the tailrace.

From Seattle Times

The tailrace is a popular fishing area for anglers seeking king salmon.

From Washington Times

It sits astride the Columbia River, which loses as much as 70 feet of elevation as it falls through the building’s turbines and emerges, almost glass-smooth, in the powerhouse’s tailrace.

From Forbes

"Most of the summer chinook produced at the new hatchery will be caught in the Columbia River, but a fair number will make it back to the tailrace," Korth said.

From Seattle Times