: a reservoir or canal from which water is taken to run equipment (such as a waterwheel or turbine)
Examples of forebay in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Water flows from the Delta through a series of gates into the shallow, 2-mile-wide forebay as a staging area for the pumps.
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Denis Cuff, The Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2017
Denis Cuff, The Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2017
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'forebay.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1770, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near forebay
Cite this Entry
“Forebay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forebay. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.
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