aqueduct

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noun aq·ue·duct \ ˈa-kwə-ˌdəkt \

Definition of aqueduct

1 a :a conduit for water; especially :one for carrying a large quantity of flowing water

b :a structure for conveying a canal over a river or hollow

2 :a canal or passage in a part or organ

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Examples of aqueduct in a Sentence

marveled at the ancient Roman aqueducts that still carry water to distant villages

Recent Examples of aqueduct from the Web

St. Francis Dam, Calif. March 1928 The 185-foot concrete dam, which fed the Los Angeles aqueduct, collapsed and killed 450 people with 12 billion gallons of water, according to the California Office of Historic Preservation.

— bart jansen, USA TODAY, "Here are the worst hurricanes and floods in U.S. history," 27 Aug. 2017
Making matters worse, water supply pipelines in the Rome area — famed in ancient Roman times for its aqueducts, segments of which still stand — are notoriously leaky.

— frances d'emilio, The Seattle Times, "Amid nationwide drought, Rome seeks ways to avoid rationing," 27 July 2017
Police said the chase only lasted about a minute and ended with a minor crash when Bailey's sedan ran into a fence near the intersection of 23rd and Aqueduct streets.

— justin l. mack, Indianapolis Star, "Officials still don't know why 2 IMPD officers shot Aaron Bailey," 13 July 2017
The excellence of this celebrated brew is said to derive from the mountain water; though, to be sure, that supply is sometimes interrupted when underground chambers and corridors from abandoned mining operations collapse and damage the aqueduct.

— weston williams, The Christian Science Monitor, "'History of a Disappearance' tells the story of a once vibrant Polish town," 1 July 2017
Bailey crashed the car and stopped near 23rd and Aqueduct streets.

— holly v. hays, Indianapolis Star, "What we know: The police shooting of Aaron Bailey," 30 June 2017
BEACH HUT moves up in class after winning back to back races at Aqueduct.

— mike battaglia, The Courier-Journal, "Oddsmaker Mike Battaglia's picks for Sunday at Churchill Downs," 24 June 2017
In fact, the original racing décor, which dated back to the 1960s, when Don Peppe moved to Lefferts Boulevard from Brooklyn, was replaced by Italian landscape paintings many years ago as Aqueduct traffic faded.

— pete wells, New York Times, "At Don Peppe, Expect a Lot of Everything," 20 June 2017
But others contend that the desalinated water can be a new source that can reduce Tijuana’s vulnerability if an earthquake damages the Colorado River aqueduct.

— sandra dibble, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Could desalinated water from Mexico flow to San Diego?," 18 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'aqueduct.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Based party on the Latin ducere, meaning "lead" or "conduct", the word aqueduct named an ancient civil-engineering marvel. You may have seen photos of the great arches of ancient aqueducts spanning valleys in countries throughout the old Roman Empire, practical pipelines that are also regarded as works of timeless beauty. From the 20th century, the 242-mile Colorado River Aqueduct, the 336-mile Central Arizona Project, and the 444-mile California Aqueduct are considered wonders of American engineering, but they are not renowned for their beauty. Most aqueducts today either are riverlike channels or run underground, perhaps appearing simply as a long mound.

Origin and Etymology of aqueduct

Latin aquaeductus, from aquae (genitive of aqua) + ductus act of leading — more at duct

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1538

See Words from the same year

aqueduct Synonyms

Synonyms

channel, canal, conduit, course, flume, racecourse, raceway, watercourse, waterway

Related Words

millrace, millstream; floodway, sluice, sluiceway, spillway; swash, tideway, torrent; gutter, trough; river, rivulet, stream

Other Civil Engineering Terms

asphalt, ballast, barrage, cantilever, infrastructure, sluice

AQUEDUCT Defined for English Language Learners

aqueduct

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noun

Definition of aqueduct for English Language Learners

: a structure that looks like a bridge and that is used to carry water over a valley; also : a pipe or channel that is used to bring water to an area