qanat

[ kuh-not ]

noun

1. an underground aqueduct in the Middle East or North Africa through which water flows downhill from an aquifer or well to the surface.

Word History and Origins

Origin of qanat¹

First recorded in 1855–60; from Persian qanāt, from Arabic qanāh “canal”; doublet of canal ( def ), cane ( def ), and channel ¹( def )