flume

/flum/

Other forms: flumes

A flume is a raised channel or chute that has water flowing through it. Flumes are generally used to transport things like logs, or to measure the flow of water.

The oldest flumes were built of wood, and were basically liquid conveyer belts that moved lumber and logs in a sawmill along the surface of the water. These flumes were safer than previous methods of transporting wood down steep mountains, such as by horse-drawn carriages. Amusement parks frequently feature rides modeled after these wooden flumes, in which riders sit in boats resembling hollow logs, propelled along a flume by flowing water.

Definitions of flume

1. noun

   a narrow gorge with a stream running through it
   synonyms: gulch

   type of:

   gorge

   a deep ravine (usually with a river running through it)
2. noun

   watercourse that consists of an open artificial chute filled with water for power or for carrying logs
   type of:

   watercourse, waterway

   a conduit through which water flows