basin

[ bey-suhn ]

noun

1. a circular container with a greater width than depth, becoming smaller toward the bottom, used chiefly to hold water or other liquid, especially for washing.
2. any container of similar shape, as the pan of a balance.
3. the quantity held by such a container:

   We need another basin of water to dilute the mixture.

4. a natural or artificial hollow place containing water.
5. a partially enclosed, sheltered area along a shore, often partly man-made or dredged to a greater depth, where boats may be moored:

   a yacht basin.

6. Geology. an area in which the strata dip from the margins toward a common center.
7. Physical Geography.
   1. a hollow or depression in the earth's surface, wholly or partly surrounded by higher land:

      river basin.

   2. drainage basin.
8. Botany. the depression in an apple, pear, or other pome at the end opposite the stem.

basin

/ ˈbeɪsən /

noun

1. a round container open and wide at the top with sides sloping inwards towards the bottom or base, esp one in which liquids are mixed or stored
2. Also calledbasinful the amount a basin will hold
3. a washbasin or sink
4. any partially enclosed or sheltered area where vessels may be moored or docked
5. the catchment area of a particular river and its tributaries or of a lake or sea
6. a depression in the earth's surface
7. geology a part of the earth's surface consisting of rock strata that slope down to a common centre

basin

/ bā′sĭn /

1. A region drained by a river and its tributaries.
2. A low-lying area on the Earth's surface in which thick layers of sediment have accumulated. Some basins are bowl-shaped while others are elongate. Basins form through tectonic processes, especially in fault-bordered intermontane areas or in areas where the Earth's crust has warped downwards. They are often a source of valuable oil.
3. An artificially enclosed area of a river or harbor designed so that the water level remains unaffected by tidal changes.

Other Words From

• basin·al adjective
• basined adjective
• basin·like adjective
• inter·basin adjective
• subbasin noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of basin¹

1175–1225; Middle English bacin < Old French < Late Latin bac ( c ) īnum ( bacc ( a ) water vessel, back ³ + -īnum -ine ¹ ); perhaps further related in Latin to beaker

Word History and Origins

Origin of basin¹

C13: from Old French bacin , from Late Latin bacchīnon , from Vulgar Latin bacca (unattested) container for water; related to Latin bāca berry

Example Sentences

As a result, key water basins in the region, such as the Colorado River, would keep shrinking.

From Science Daily

Newspaper accounts from the late 1800s and early 1900s describe manatee sightings in warm water refuges like yacht basins and canals harbors, and later in areas near power plants.

From Science Daily

“Now really is the time for the basin states and tribes to redouble their work toward a consensus alternative.”

From Los Angeles Times

Until now, the process by which a million cubic kilometres of salt accumulated in the Mediterranean basin over such a short period of time remained unknown.

From Science Daily

Echoing an ongoing U.S. mineral survey called the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative, SinoProbe II aims to chart ore formations and fossil fuel basins as deep as 3 kilometers and develop extraction technologies.

From Science Magazine

Related Words

• bowl
• lagoon
• pan
• pool
• pot
• tub
• valley
• watershed