wasteweir

9.9

A channel that carries extra water over or around a dam to stop flooding

noun
/ˈweɪstˌwɪr/

Specialized

: desagüe

The engineer checked the wasteweir to ensure it was not blocked by debris.

Examples

Many dams have a wasteweir as an essential safety feature.
The wasteweir overflowed during the heavy rain.
Excess water is safely diverted through the wasteweir during heavy rainfall.
Many wasteweirs are built to manage stormwater.
Excess water is safely diverted through the wasteweir during heavy rainfall.
Many dams have a wasteweir as an essential safety feature.
The engineer checked the wasteweir to ensure it was not blocked by debris.

Synonyms

spillway

vswasteweir

Specialized

8 5.4

A channel that carries extra water over a dam to prevent flooding

is more about preventing structural damage than only stopping floods

spill

vswasteweir

Specialized

2 6.9

A channel that lets extra water flow from a dam to prevent flooding

aims more to protect structures from damage caused by overflow

floodway

vswasteweir

1 4.1

A channel or area that directs extra floodwater away from homes and buildings

is used for channels around dams protecting structures, not broad flood areas

How Large

spillway

Specialized

8 5.4

wasteweir

Specialized

9.9

weir

15 8.2

sluice

7 7.0

Surface Forms

wasteweir singular

wasteweirs plural

Morphology

wasteweir = waste + weir (transparent) = waste + weir

A literal compound of 'waste' + 'weir' meaning a weir for wasting (letting off) excess water, so the meaning is directly derived from its parts.

Etymology

Wasteweir comes from two old parts: waste, which here means 'to let water flow away' rather than 'trash', and weir, a word for a 'small dam' or fence across a river. So a wasteweir is a channel or low dam that lets extra water flow away to stop flooding.