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Aswan Dam

Aswan Dam

4.0
A large dam on the Nile in southern Egypt that controls floods, supplies water for farming, and makes electricity
  • proper noun
translation icon : Represa de Asuán
  • Before the construction of the new Aswan High Dam in Egypt, the Jebel Aulia Dam was built on the White Nile to support the dry season flow to the Aswan Dam.

Examples

  • In 1960, with the construction of the Aswan Dam and its artificial water supply, these sites were in danger of being drowned and lost forever.

    Blog text (23)
  • Egypt has had over 100% population growth since they built the Aswan Dam.

    Blog text (2)
  • We built the Aswan Dam and claimed it was going to revitalize the country.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • The agreement also included some provisions for regulating the filling of the storage created by the Aswan Dam.

    Academic text (2008)
  • The old Aswan Dam caused the flooding of several important temples for six months a year, putting them in jeopardy.

    Academic text (2006)
  • The Old Aswan Dam, built in 1928, improved the flood situation and increased the irrigation facilities with an expanded water storage capacity.

    Academic text (2008)
  • The construction of the Aswan Dam has greatly improved water management in Egypt.

  • Many tourists visit the Aswan Dam to learn about its role in controlling the Nile's flooding.

  • Hydroelectric power generated by the Aswan Dam supplies energy to millions of people in Egypt.

Synonyms

dam
vsAswan Dam
205 1.8

A barrier across a river that holds back water

is the particular Nile mega-structure used for flood control, irrigation, and power
High Dam
vsAswan Dam
1 4.6

A large dam on the Nile in southern Egypt that controls floods, supplies water for farming and makes electricity

is an alternative name for the same Nile structure for water control and power
Aswan High Dam
vsAswan Dam
4.6

A large dam on the Nile in southern Egypt that controls flooding, stores water and makes electricity

is the specific Nile structure built to control floods and generate power

Surface Forms

Aswan Dam main

Morphology

Aswan + dam

The meaning is directly derivable from combining the place-name 'Aswan' (a city) with 'dam' (an engineered barrier), so it straightforwardly denotes the dam located at Aswan. This place-name + noun composition is a common, compositional pattern across languages and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Aswan Dam is named after the town of Aswan, where the big dam was built across the Nile. Because it holds back the river and stores water, the name shows it 'controls flooding' and 'produces electricity'.