basin
n. countablen. a large bowl for washing your hands or face, or a wide area of land where water flows into a river.
n. a wide, open container used for holding liquids or washing; also a large geographical depression where water collects and drains into a common outlet.
She filled the basin with warm water to wash her face.
The Amazon basin covers a vast area of South America, collecting rainfall from thousands of smaller streams.
Geological surveys indicate that the sedimentary basin has been accumulating mineral deposits for millions of years, creating a unique environment for fossil preservation.
Etymology tree Proto-Celtic *baskis Gaulish *baskisder. Vulgar Latin bacca Vulgar Latin *baccinum Old French bacinbor. Middle English basyn English basin From Middle English basyn, from Old French bacin, from Vulgar Latin *baccinum (“wide bowl”).
In a domestic context, it often refers specifically to a fixed sink; in geography, it describes the entire catchment area of a river system.