flume
UK[fluːm]US[fluːm]
n
a narrow channel for water, often made of metal or wood and used to carry water for industrial use or as a water ride.
n
a deep, narrow gorge or ravine with a stream running through it.
Etymology
the word 'flume' entered english in the late 12th century from the old french 'flum', meaning 'river, stream', which itself descended from the latin 'flumen', meaning 'river'. this latin term originates from the proto-indo-european root pleu-, meaning 'to flow, to swim', a prolific source for words related to fluid motion. the semantic journey is direct, from the general concept of a flowing river in latin, to a stream in old french, and finally specializing in english to denote either a man-made channel for directing water or a natural gorge carved by a stream, both retaining the core idea of a conduit for flowing water.
Analysis
the word is a simplex loanword from old french. it cannot be meaningfully segmented into smaller morphemes using its modern english spelling.
Examples
the old mining operation used a wooden flume to divert water from the creek.
we went white-water rafting through the steep flume.
the log ride at the amusement park sends you down a winding water flume.