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to sluice

to sluice

1 7.4
To let water flow through a gate to move or wash things away
  • verb
  • /sluːs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : desaguar
  • From the bottom of the river, his father began to lift bucket after bucket of ugly purplish mussels, sluice them clean of muck, and dump them into the boat.
  • sluiced water

Examples

  • Rain sluices mud from his upturned face.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • The young woman came to her with warm water and rags and began to sluice the blood from the wounds so the fragments of wood could be more clearly seen.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • She picked up the old enamel saucepan they used for sluicing Maude and scooped it full of bath water.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • The mills were built to drain the excess water from the Alblasserwaard polders—which are situated below sea level—after which the water was sluiced into the river Lek.

    Academic text (2006)
  • After the heavy rain, water sluiced down the streets, carrying debris with it.

  • The workers sluiced the muddy equipment with a powerful hose to clean it.

  • They sluiced the rocks with water to separate the gold from the dirt.

Synonyms

to wash
vsto sluice
258 2.3

To carry away soil or rock by moving water

uses a channelled outlet to let water flow specifically for washing or transport
to drain
vsto sluice
198 1.0

To let liquid flow away from something

directs flow through a controlled outlet to carry things away not just remove water
to flush
vsto sluice
168 2.7

To clean something by running water through it

focuses on directing flow through a channel to transport or wash broadly
to funnel
vsto sluice
69 4.1

To move something through a narrow opening or channel into one place

achieves flow by opening or using a channel to wash or transport broadly
to siphon
vsto sluice
43 6.0

To move liquid from one container to another using a tube and gravity

relies on opening a channel to let flow move things rather than suction
to pour out
vsto sluice
22 2.9

Make liquid flow out of a container

uses a channelled opening to let flow out and wash or transport
to flow out
vsto sluice
16 2.9

Move or pour out in a steady stream, often a liquid

involves releasing or directing flow through a channel for transport or washing
to wash down
vsto sluice
4 3.3

To move along with a strong flow of water

emphasizes deliberate release through a channel to move or wash objects
to sluice down
vsto sluice
1 7.6

Flow quickly and strongly down a surface like water after heavy rain

lets water flow through a controlled channel to wash or move things
to swill
vsto sluice
1 5.7

To move water around to clean or rinse something

implies controlled channelled flow aimed at transport or cleaning rather than messy action
pouring
vsto sluice
1.3

A liquid that moves quickly in large amounts, like heavy rain

often implies intentionally directing flow through a channel to wash or move things

Antonyms

3.0

To stop movement, access, or progress

Phrasal Verbs

Flow quickly and strongly down a surface like water after heavy rain

Compounds

sluice gate
  • Specialized
1 6.5

A gate that opens to let water flow and closes to stop it in a river or canal

sluice valve
  • Specialized
7.2

A gate that controls water flow in a canal

How Forceful

to gush
26 3.2
to pour
588 1.0
to sluice
  • Specialized
1 7.4
to flow
333 1.0
to trickle
70 3.4
to seep
82 2.7
to drip
171 1.0

Surface Forms

sluice infinitive
sluiced past
sluiced past participle
sluicing present participle
sluices third person singular

Etymology

To sluice (verb) comes from the same idea of opening a sliding gate to let water run, so to sluice something is to 'wash' or move it by using a flow of water through a gate.