sluice
UK[sluːs]US[sluːs]
n
an artificial channel for carrying water, fitted with a gate (a sluice gate) to control the flow.
n
a sliding gate or other device for controlling the flow of water out of or into a canal, lock, or dam.
v
to wash or rinse (something) with a stream or shower of water.
v
(of water) to flow or pour out in a torrent.
Etymology
the word 'sluice' entered english in the late 14th century from the old french 'escluse', meaning a floodgate or sluice. the old french term derived from the late latin 'exclusa', a noun from the feminine past participle of 'excludere', meaning 'to shut out'. the core logic stems from the idea of a gate that 'shuts out' water to control its flow. over time, the meaning expanded from the gate itself to the entire controlled water channel and the action of washing with a controlled stream of water.
Analysis
the word is a simplex loanword from old french. its spelling and form have been anglicized as a single unit.
Examples
the old mill was powered by water from a wooden sluice.
the gold prospector used a pan to sluice gravel from the riverbed.
after the heavy rain, water began to sluice down the steep streets.