aqueduct

noun

aq·​ue·​duct ˈa-kwə-ˌdəkt How to pronounce aqueduct (audio)
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

Did you know?

Based partly on the Latin ducere, meaning "lead" or "conduct," the word aqueduct named an ancient civil-engineering marvel. Ancient Rome's aqueduct system, an extraordinary feat of engineering, brought water to the city from as far as 57 miles (92 kilometers) away. Only a portion of the Roman aqueducts utilized the familiar stone arch; most were underground conduits made of stone or terra-cotta pipe. Modern aqueduct systems now often use reinforced concrete for large water mains, and ductile iron, a stronger and more elastic type of cast iron, for smaller underground pipes.

Examples of aqueduct in a Sentence

marveled at the ancient Roman aqueducts that still carry water to distant villages
Recent Examples on the Web Acrimony has seethed in Owens Valley since the early 1900s, when the city had agents pose as farmers and ranchers to buy land and water rights in the valley, then began building an aqueduct to collect and divert water from Inyo County to the water-craving metropolis about 180 miles to the south. Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2024 Last year’s record snowmelt also meant managing 1 million acre-feet of water along the aqueduct, which is equivalent to filling about 493,617 Olympic-size swimming pools, officials said. Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2024 One of the highest priorities here in California needs to be better water management: building the dams, aqueducts, pipes, tunnels, canals, plants and pumping stations needed to provide clean, safe water to families and farmers. Gillian Brassil, Sacramento Bee, 5 Feb. 2024 The storage site was 35 miles from the MWD’s Colorado aqueduct, requiring a $150-million pipeline to be strung over environmentally sensitive territory. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2024 The transformation of the basin began in the 1930s with the construction of the Hoover Dam, which created Lake Mead, and ended in 1993 with the completion of the Central Arizona Project, the 336-mile aqueduct system that conveys water from the Colorado to Phoenix and Tucson. Kyle Paoletta, The New Republic, 30 Oct. 2023 The concrete aqueduct is vulnerable to land shifting beneath it. Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2023 Some have literally been forced underground, turning aqueducts and tunnels built for flood control beneath the Las Vegas Strip into shelter for themselves. Deon J. Hampton, NBC News, 7 Dec. 2023 The State Water Project’s aqueducts and pipelines transport water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to 29 water agencies that supply 27 million people. Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'aqueduct.' 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

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

First Known Use

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of aqueduct was in 1538

Dictionary Entries Near aqueduct

Cite this Entry

“Aqueduct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aqueduct. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

aqueduct

noun
aq·​ue·​duct ˈak-wə-ˌdəkt How to pronounce aqueduct (audio)
1
: an artificial channel for water
especially : one for carrying a large quantity of flowing water
2
: a structure that carries the water of a canal across a river or hollow
Etymology

from Latin aquaeductus "aqueduct," from aquae, form of aqua "water," and ductus "act of conducting or leading" — related to duct

Medical Definition

aqueduct

noun
aq·​ue·​duct ˈak-wə-ˌdəkt How to pronounce aqueduct (audio)
: a canal or passage in a part or organ

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