sluice

/slus/

Other forms: sluices; sluicing; sluiced

Anything that resembles a water slide with a gate is a sluice — a narrow channel that controls water flow.

The word originally comes from an old English word meaning a narrow channel that controlled a flow of water, usually to a watermill, and it still has that meaning. A sluice can also mean a splash — often with cold water and usually done with some vigor. Torture victims in movies sometimes have their faces sluiced to bring them round for further questioning.

Definitions of sluice

1. noun

   conduit that carries a rapid flow of water controlled by a sluicegate
   synonyms: penstock, sluiceway

   type of:

   conduit

   a passage (a pipe or tunnel) through which water or electric wires can pass
2. verb

   pour as if from a sluice
   “An aggressive tide sluiced across the barrier reef”

   synonyms: sluice down

   type of:

   pelt, pour, rain buckets, rain cats and dogs, stream

   rain heavily
3. verb

   irrigate with water from a sluice
   “sluice the earth”

   synonyms: flush

   type of:

   douse, dowse, drench, soak, sop, souse

   cover with liquid; pour liquid onto
4. verb

   draw through a sluice
   “sluice water”

   type of:

   draw, take out

   take liquid out of a container or well
5. verb

   transport in or send down a sluice
   “sluice logs”

   type of:

   transport

   move something or somebody around; usually over long distances