drainage basin
1
4.0
- noun
- /ˈdreɪnɪdʒ ˈbeɪsən/
- Specialized
:
cuenca
- Many farmers rely on the water in the drainage basin for irrigation during the dry season.
- river drainage basin
- the large drainage basin
Examples
-
For example, a snail, Elimia virginica, is thought to have migrated into the Great Lakes drainage from the Hudson River drainage basin through the Erie Canal in the mid-1800s.
Academic text (1994) -
Although the Cahora Bassa dam and reservoir are contained entirely within Mozambique, the vast bulk of the Zambesi drainage basin, the third-largest river system in Africa, lies outside the country.
Academic text (2005) -
To see its generality, imagine the formation of a river drainage basin.
Academic text (2009) -
The Baltic Sea catchment area, or drainage basin, is home to 14 nations (see Figure 1 on page 9).
Academic text (1993) -
West Beach is located to the west of the same drainage basin and marina as Cummings Beach but has no barriers to the flow of the outlet.
Academic text (2009) -
Seventeen introduced species, predominantly plants, had established populations in the Great Lakes drainage basin by 1870 (Figure 2).
Academic text (1994) -
Amazonia encompasses the Brazilian section of the Amazon River's drainage basin, the world's largest continuous expanse of tropical forest.
Academic text (1996) -
However, late 20th-century exurbanization (sprawl development) has led to more impervious surface cover in many drainage basins, further altering water quantity and quality.
Academic text (2009) -
Scientists believe that the gulf's dead zone is the result of excess runoff of nutrients from agriculture in the large Mississippi River drainage basin, which extends northward through midwestern states as far as Minnesota.
Academic text (2006) -
The Amazon River's drainage basin is home to diverse wildlife due to its vast ecosystem.
Synonyms
72
3.1
An area of land where water collects and flows into a river, lake, or sea
16
6.1
An area of land where rain flows into one river
3
6.4
An area of land that collects rain and sends water into a river or reservoir
1
5.6
An area of land where rain and water flow into the same river, lake, or reservoir
1
3.5
Land where a river and its streams send water to the same place
1
3.7
Area of land that sends water into a river or lake
An area of land where all rain flows into a river, lake or reservoir
How Large
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'the area of land from which water drains into a river' is directly and transparently derived from 'drainage' (removal or flow of water) + 'basin' (an area where water collects). This compositional relation is literal and cross-linguistically common (e.g. Spanish 'cuenca' + 'de drenaje' concept), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Drainage basin comes from a simple picture: think of the land as a big bowl. Rain on the hills 'drains' into the low place where the river sits, so drainage means 'water leaving' and basin means 'bowl', and together the words describe the whole area that 'sends water to the same river'.