basin

noun

ba·​sin ˈbā-sᵊn How to pronounce basin (audio)
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 adjective
basined adjective
basinful 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 All seven ocean basins where tropical cyclones can form have had a storm reach Category 5 strength so far this year, including Hurricane Jova, which reached Category 5 status in the eastern Pacific earlier this week. Mary Gilbert, CNN, 9 Sep. 2023 Walczak expects a return of several thousand wild and hatchery coho after a few years of good production and downriver movement of juveniles (courtesy, in part, of PGE, and basin councils). Bill Monroe, oregonlive, 8 Sep. 2023 In 1950, the U.S. National Hurricane Center began the formal practice of naming storms that develop in the Atlantic basin. The Arizona Republic, 8 Sep. 2023 On it, Singleton saw evidence of underwater landslides caused by earthquakes shaking the basin. Ned Rozell | Alaska Science, Anchorage Daily News, 2 Sep. 2023 Africa, home to four of the world’s 15 largest river drainage basins—the Nile, the Niger, the Congo, and the Zambezi—has plenty of opportunity to build on them. IEEE Spectrum, 1 Sep. 2023 The latest on Tropical Storm Franklin Elsewhere in the Atlantic basin, Tropical Storm Franklin continues to spin in the Atlantic Ocean. Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 25 Aug. 2023 And farther south, more than a dozen people were rescued from a homeless encampment in the San Diego River basin. Ali Martin, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Aug. 2023 Hurricane Lee, now a powerful Category 4 hurricane, is one of only a handful of hurricanes in the Atlantic basin during the satellite era to intensify by 85 mph or more within a 24-hour period. Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'basin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of basin was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near basin

Cite this Entry

“Basin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/basin. Accessed 29 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

basin

noun
ba·​sin ˈbās-ᵊn How to pronounce basin (audio)
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 How to pronounce basin (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on basin

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!