basin

noun

ba·​sin ˈbā-sᵊn 

1

a

: an open usually circular vessel with sloping or curving sides used typically for holding water for washing

a new washstand and basin

b

chiefly British : a bowl used especially in cooking

c

: the quantity contained in a basin

spilled a basin of water on the floor

2

a

: a dock built in a harbor or a river that is noticeably affected by the tide

b

: an enclosed or partly enclosed water area

3

geography

a

: a large or small depression in the surface of the land or in the ocean floor

the relatively shallow basin of the Baltic Sea

b

: the entire tract of country drained by a river and its tributaries

flooding in the Amazon river basin

c

: a great depression in the surface of the lithosphere occupied by an ocean

4

geology : a broad area of the earth beneath which the strata (see stratum sense 2a) dip usually from the sides toward the center

basinal

ˈbā-sᵊn-əl 

adjective

basined

ˈbā-sᵊnd 

adjective

basinful

ˈbā-sᵊn-ˌfu̇l 

noun

Examples of basin in a Sentence

a basin of cold water

the drainage basin of a river

the Great Basin of the western U.S.

Recent Examples on the Web

Locals refer to East River and West River, and the wetness and moisture of the Great Lakes and Mississippi basin—its thick canopy of trees, its suppleness—cedes to an aridity and expansiveness that bears its own harsh beauty. —Literary Hub, 21 Nov. 2025

Don't forget to spray inside the basin of the sink as well as the faucet and handles. —Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 21 Nov. 2025

What To Know State media reported that Iran conducted its first cloud-seeding flight of the current water year on Saturday over the Urmia Lake basin in the northwest, with further operations planned for East and West Azerbaijan provinces. —Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025

The researchers suggest that the hematite grains were produced by massive impact events, like those that created the South Pole–Aitken basin and the Apollo crater on the moon’s far side. —Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 16 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French bacin, going back to Vulgar Latin *baccīnum (whence Hellenized Late Latin bacchinon "disk with two wooden dishes"), derivative from a base *bak- or *bakk- (whence Latin bacar, bacriō "kind of vessel," early Medieval Latin bacarium, baccarium, becario "pitcher, vessel"), of obscure origin

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing basin

• inter-basin
• slop basin
• sub-basin

Rhymes for basin

• caisson
• chasten
• hasten
• jason
• capsaicin
• freemason
• stonemason
• subbasin
• washbasin
• indomethacin

Kids Definition

basin

noun

ba·​sin ˈbās-ᵊn 

1

a

: a wide usually round container with sloping or curving sides for holding liquids

b

: the amount that a basin holds

2

: a hollow area or enclosure containing water

especially : a partly enclosed water area for anchoring ships

3

a

: the land drained by a river and its branches

b

: a large or small hollow area in the surface of the land or in the ocean floor

c

: a great hollow area in the surface of the lithosphere filled by an ocean

4

: a broad area of the earth beneath which layers of sedimentary rock dip usually from the sides toward the center

Medical Definition

basin

noun

ba·​sin ˈbās-ᵊn 

1

: an open usually circular vessel with sloping or curving sides used typically for holding water for washing

2

: the quantity contained in a basin