weir

noun \ ˈwer , ˈwir \

|Updated on: 8 Jun 2018

Definition of weir

1 : a fence or enclosure set in a waterway for taking fish

2 : a dam in a stream or river to raise the water level or divert its flow

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Recent Examples of weir from the Web

Other projects back on the funding track include Southeast and Togiak herring research, westward salmon weirs, Southeast sablefish research and Prince William Sound Tanner crab.

— laine welch, Anchorage Daily News, "Funding for Alaska’s commercial fisheries division in good shape, with $300K going to chinook project," 29 Apr. 2018
With water releases stopped, the lake quickly filled to capacity and water began flowing over a concrete weir that serves as an emergency spillway.

— CBS News, "Heavy rain in Northern California may test spillway at nation's tallest dam," 6 Apr. 2018
With water releases stopped, the lake quickly filled to capacity and water began flowing over a concrete weir that serves as an emergency spillway.

— Fox News, "California storm may test spillway at nation's tallest dam," 6 Apr. 2018
The control structure is a concrete weir that parallels the river for a mile and a half.

— littice bacon-blood, NOLA.com, "10 things to know about the Bonnet Carre Spillway before it's opened Thursday," 7 Mar. 2018
The water eroded the barren hillside beneath the concrete, leading to fears the weir would collapse and release a 40-foot wall of water that would swamp communities and destroy levies for miles downstream.

— CBS News, "Heavy rain in Northern California may test spillway at nation's tallest dam," 6 Apr. 2018
The water eroded the barren hillside beneath the concrete, leading to fears the weir would collapse and release a 40-foot (12-meter) wall of water that would swamp communities and destroy levies for miles downstream.

— Fox News, "California storm may test spillway at nation's tallest dam," 6 Apr. 2018
The data included creel survey information, annual forage assessments by acoustic and bottom trawls and fish examined at weirs.

— paul a. smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Smith: Lake Michigan chinook and alewife are near the desired balance, a new report says," 28 Mar. 2018
Throughout the summer of 2018, our staff will use weirs and aerial surveys to gauge run strength to assess if the closure might be modified inseason.

— sam cotten, Anchorage Daily News, "Why the state decided to shut down or restrict king salmon fishing in the Susitna River drainage," 14 Mar. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of weir

Middle English were, going back to Old English wer, going back to Germanic *wera- (whence Old Saxon wer, werr "fish trap, dam," Middle High German wer, Old Norse ver "fishing place"), derivative of an Indo-European verb stem *u̯er- "halt, check, avert," whence, from an iterative derivative *u̯or-ei̯e-, Germanic *warjan- (whence Old English werian "to ward off, protect," Old Saxon, "to hinder, prevent," Old High German weren, werren "to hinder, defend," Old Norse verja "to defend, guard," Gothic warjan "to hinder, forbid"); and, with other ablaut derivatives, Greek érymai, érysthai "to ward off, protect, save," Sanskrit vṛṇoti "(s/he) obstructs, prevents"

Note: See note at aperient.

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year