Adjacent Words

Basin definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

BA'SIN, n. basn.
1. A hollow vessel or dish, to hold water for washing, and for various other uses.
2. In hydraulics, any reservoir of water.
3. That which resembles a basin in containing water, as a pond, a dock for ships, a hollow place for liquids, or an inclosed part of water, forming a broad space within a strait or narrow entrance; a little bay.
4. Among glass grinders, a concave piece of metal by which convex glasses are formed.
5. Among hatters, a large shell or case, usually of iron, placed over a furnace, in which the hat is molded into due shape.
6. In anatomy, a round cavity between the anterior ventricles of the brain.
7. The scale of a balance, when hollow and round.
8. In Jewish antiquities, the laver of the tabernacle.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a bowl-shaped vessel; usually used for holding food or liquids; "she mixed the dough in a large basin"
2: the quantity that a basin will hold; "a basinful of water" [syn: basin, basinful]
3: a natural depression in the surface of the land often with a lake at the bottom of it; "the basin of the Great Salt Lake"
4: the entire geographical area drained by a river and its tributaries; an area characterized by all runoff being conveyed to the same outlet; "flood control in the Missouri basin" [syn: river basin, basin, watershed, drainage basin, catchment area, catchment basin, drainage area]
5: a bathroom sink that is permanently installed and connected to a water supply and drainpipe; where you can wash your hands and face; "he ran some water in the basin and splashed it on his face" [syn: washbasin, basin, washbowl, washstand, lavatory]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French bacin, from Late Latin bacchinon Date: 13th century 1. a. an open usually circular vessel with sloping or curving sides used typically for holding water for washing b. chiefly British a bowl used especially in cooking c. the quantity contained in a basin 2. a. a dock built in a tidal river or harbor b. an enclosed or partly enclosed water area 3. a. a large or small depression in the surface of the land or in the ocean floor b. the entire tract of country drained by a river and its tributaries c. a great depression in the surface of the lithosphere occupied by an ocean 4. a broad area of the earth beneath which the strata dip usually from the sides toward the center • basinal adjective • basined adjective • basinful noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 a wide shallow open container, esp. a fixed one for holding water. 2 a hollow rounded depression. 3 any sheltered area of water where boats can moor safely. 4 a round valley. 5 an area drained by rivers and tributaries. 6 Geol. a a rock formation where the strata dip towards the centre. b an accumulation of rock strata formed in this dip as a result of subsidence and sedimentation. Derivatives: basinful n. (pl. -fuls). Etymology: ME f. OF bacin f. med.L ba(s)cinus, perh. f. Gaulish

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Basin Ba"sin, n. [OF. bacin, F. bassin, LL. bacchinus, fr. bacca a water vessel, fr. L. bacca berry, in allusion to the round shape; or perh. fr. Celtic. Cf. Bac.] 1. A hollow vessel or dish, to hold water for washing, and for various other uses. 2. The quantity contained in a basin. 3. A hollow vessel, of various forms and materials, used in the arts or manufactures, as that used by glass grinders for forming concave glasses, by hatters for molding a hat into shape, etc. 4. A hollow place containing water, as a pond, a dock for ships, a little bay. 5. (Physical Geog.) (a) A circular or oval valley, or depression of the surface of the ground, the lowest part of which is generally occupied by a lake, or traversed by a river. (b) The entire tract of country drained by a river, or sloping towards a sea or lake. 6. (Geol.) An isolated or circumscribed formation, particularly where the strata dip inward, on all sides, toward a center; -- especially applied to the coal formations, called coal basins or coal fields.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(basins) 1. A basin is a large or deep bowl that you use for holding liquids, or for mixing or storing food. Place the eggs and sugar in a large basin. ...a pudding basin. N-COUNT • A basin of something such as water is an amount of it that is contained in a basin. We were given a basin of water to wash our hands in. N-COUNT: N of n 2. A basin is the same as a washbasin. ...a cast-iron bath with a matching basin and wc. N-COUNT 3. The basin of a large river is the area of land around it from which streams run down into it. ...the Amazon basin. N-COUNT: with supp, oft in names 4. In geography, a basin is a particular region of the world where the earth's surface is lower than in other places. (TECHNICAL) ...countries around the Pacific Basin. N-COUNT: with supp, oft in names 5. A basin is a partially enclosed area of deep water where boats or ships are kept. N-COUNT: usu n N

Easton's Bible Dictionary

or Bason. (1.) A trough or laver (Heb. aggan') for washing (Ex. 24:6); rendered also "goblet" (Cant. 7:2) and "cups" (Isa. 22:24).

(2.) A covered dish or urn (Heb. k'for) among the vessels of the temple (1 Chr. 28:17; Ezra 1:10; 8:27).

(3.) A vase (Heb. mizrak) from which to sprinkle anything. A metallic vessel; sometimes rendered "bowl" (Amos 6:6; Zech. 9:15). The vessels of the tabernacle were of brass (Ex. 27:3), while those of the temple were of gold (2 Chr. 4:8).

(4.) A utensil (Heb. saph) for holding the blood of the victims (Ex. 12:22); also a basin for domestic purposes (2 Sam. 17:28).

The various vessels spoken of by the names "basin, bowl, charger, cup, and dish," cannot now be accurately distinguished.

The basin in which our Lord washed the disciples' feet (John 13:5) must have been larger and deeper than the hand-basin.

Moby Thesaurus

alkali flat, alluvial plain, alveolation, alveolus, anchorage, anchorage ground, antrum, aquamanile, armpit, automatic dishwasher, bath, bathtub, bed, berth, bidet, bottom, bottomland, bowl, breakwater, bulkhead, bushveld, campo, catch basin, cavity, cereal bowl, champaign, champaign country, channel, cistern, coastal plain, concave, concavity, coulee, crater, crypt, cup, delta, depression, desert, dip, dishpan, dishwasher, dock, dockage, dockyard, down, downs, dry dock, embankment, ewer, fell, finger bowl, flat, flat country, flatland, flats, floor, fold, follicle, funnel chest, grass veld, grassland, gravy boat, groin, ground, harbor, harborage, haven, heath, hip bath, hole, hollow, hollow shell, jetty, jutty, kitchen sink, lacuna, lande, landing, landing place, landing stage, lavabo, lavatory, level, llano, lowland, lowlands, lunar mare, mare, marina, mesa, mesilla, mole, moor, moorings, moorland, ocean bottom, open country, pampa, pampas, peneplain, pier, piscina, pit, plain, plains, plateau, playa, pocket, porringer, port, prairie, protected anchorage, punch bowl, quay, road, roads, roadstead, sag, salad bowl, salt flat, salt marsh, salt pan, sauce boat, savanna, scoop, seaport, seawall, sebkha, shell, shipyard, shower, shower bath, shower curtain, shower head, shower room, shower stall, showers, sink, sinkage, sinkhole, sinus, sitz bath, slip, socket, steppe, table, tableland, terrine, tree veld, trough, tub, tundra, tureen, upland, vat, vega, veld, vug, wash barrel, wash boiler, washbasin, washbowl, washdish, washer, washing machine, washing pot, washpot, washstand, washtub, weald, wharf, wide-open spaces, wold