qanat

noun

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qa·nat | \ kə-ˈnät

, ka- \

plural qanats

Definition of qanat

: an underground aqueduct used (as in the Middle East) to convey water from a source (such as an aquifer) through the force of gravity especially for the purpose of irrigation In Iran, qanats are still being constructed, and the thought came to wed the ancient qanat technology with that of modern drilling methods.— Mahesh C. Chaturvedi I first saw a qanat system in Turfan, a small town deep in the Gobi desert, thousands of miles from the nearest ocean but cradled in a depression below sea level.— Martin Harwit