Word
sluice
US/ˈsɫus/
UK/slˈuːs/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a narrow water channel with a gate that controls how much water flows through. You see them in dams, mills and mines for moving or washing with water.
n. a water channel fitted with a movable gate for controlling flow, volume or level. Commonly used in mills, irrigation systems and placer mining to direct water or wash ore.
Examples
“The farmer opens the sluice to water the fields.”
“Miners direct river water through the sluice to separate gold from gravel.”
“After heavy rain, the old mill's sluice groans under the pressure as pent-up water rushes toward the wheel below.”
Examples
simple
“The farmer opens the sluice to water the fields.”
contextual
“Miners direct river water through the sluice to separate gold from gravel.”
complex
“After heavy rain, the old mill's sluice groans under the pressure as pent-up water rushes toward the wheel below.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “sluice” in context.
Verb
01. open sluice
“The keeper opened the sluice to release excess water from the reservoir.”
verb + noun
02. operate sluice
“Only trained staff may operate the sluice during the flood season.”
verb + noun
03. shut sluice
“Engineers shut the sluice before inspecting the dam wall for cracks.”
verb + noun
04. sluice drains
“The sluice drains excess water from the canal into the river below.”
noun + verb
05. sluice opens
“The sluice opens automatically when upstream pressure reaches critical level.”
noun + verb
06. sluice overflows
“If the sluice overflows, the surrounding embankment could erode rapidly.”
noun + verb
Adjective
07. mining sluice
“Prospectors poured gravel through the mining sluice to trap gold particles.”
adj + noun
Noun
08. sluice box
“He built a sluice box to separate gold from sand and gravel.”
noun + noun
09. sluice gate
“The sluice gate regulates the flow from the reservoir to the turbines.”
noun + noun
10. clear debris from the sluice
“Crews cleared debris from the sluice after the storm blocked the channel.”
11. close the sluice gate
“Close the sluice gate before carrying out maintenance on the channel.”
12. open the sluice gates
“The authorities opened the sluice gates to lower the reservoir level.”
Usage
Commonly appears as 'sluice gate' for the movable barrier itself.
Real-World Examples
“At the start of this year, the provincial government revived a project to alleviate drought by regulating water flows between the Yangtze River and Poyang Lake with a 3 km-long sluice gate.” “The Dunball Sluice, which was established in 1971, is managed by the Environment Agency to regulate water flow across the Somerset Levels and Moors.” “The sluice gate, near Gladstone Road, had become stuck in October when a large tree stump became lodged underneath it before Storm Ciaran hit.” “Shashwat, a state irrigation official, indicated that it would take approximately 15 days to refill the canal bed with soil, reline it with concrete, and repair the nearby sluice gates.” Etymology
From Middle English sluse, alteration of scluse, from Anglo-Norman escluse (“sluice, floodgate”), from Late Latin exclusa (“extrusion, gate”), from Latin exclūsus, form of exclūdō (“I shut out, I exclude”) (English exclude). Cognate to Dutch sluis.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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