gravity dam

noun

1. a dam resisting the pressure of impounded water through its own weight.

gravity dam

noun

1. a dam whose weight alone is great enough to prevent it from tipping over

Word History and Origins

Origin of gravity dam¹

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

For a dam ten feet high, the necessary thickness of the curved dam would probably not be more than twelve inches, while the ordinary gravity dam would be three or four feet thick.

From Project Gutenberg