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
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

Yet after back-to-back atmospheric rivers walloped California in less than a week, it wouldn’t take much for water, mud and boulders to sluice down fragile hillsides, experts warned.

From Seattle Times

Fish and Wildlife Service, which otherwise protects the birds — the Corps in 2015 unleashed a concerted kill program on the cormorants to control predation on baby salmon sluicing downriver to the sea.

From Seattle Times

Postgraduate researcher David Vandercruyssen said: "High tides can be limited to existing levels simply by closing sluices and turbines and existing low tide levels can be maintained by pumping."

From Science Daily

As the tide ebbs the water is released through a sluice, which pushes a water wheel, which turns the grinding stones.

From BBC

Over time, the Maya built canals, dams, sluices and berms to direct, store and transport water.

From Science Daily