Word
weir
Phoneticsweir
US/ˈwiɹ/
UK/wˈiə/
Definition
n. an old-fashioned fence or trap placed in a river to catch fish.
n. an enclosure or fence of stakes, brushwood, or netting set in a stream or channel for trapping fish.
Examples
“Water flows smoothly over the stone weir.”
“The local council repaired the ancient stone weir to prevent the river from drying up during the summer.”
“Engineers monitored the weir closely during the spring thaw, ensuring that the increased volume of meltwater did not compromise the structural integrity of the riverbank.”
Examples
simple
“Water flows smoothly over the stone weir.”
contextual
“The local council repaired the ancient stone weir to prevent the river from drying up during the summer.”
complex
“Engineers monitored the weir closely during the spring thaw, ensuring that the increased volume of meltwater did not compromise the structural integrity of the riverbank.”
Teaching tip
This sense is mostly found in historical or archaeological contexts; modern speakers usually use 'trap' or 'net'.
Synonyms
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/weir