What does "weir" mean?
An adjustable dam placed across a river to regulate the flow of water downstream.
Weir
/wɪə̯/ name, noun
name, noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An adjustable dam placed across a river to regulate the flow of water downstream.
- Grammar: weir is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: aboideau, air lock, arch dam, avenue.
- Useful contrasts: fishhooks, open channel, unmeasured flow.
- Usage evidence: There was a weir across the river here, but it never caught many fish.
How to use "weir"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "weir" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "weir" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "weir" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "weir" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "weir" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "aboideau" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "weir", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An adjustable dam placed across a river to regulate the flow of water downstream.
"Though Hambleden's parish register records the death, in 1753, of a bargeman 'Kill'd by accident, shooting ye lock', the turbulent waters of Mill End weir on the River Thames, about a mile from the village, still attract canoeists."
- 2 a low dam built across a stream to raise its level or divert its flow wordnet
- 3 A fence placed across a river to catch fish.
"The Taff is naturally a good salmon river, the Ely a sea trout river, but what with weirs and pollusions the fish have been pretty well exterminated."
- 4 a fence or wattle built across a stream to catch or retain fish wordnet
- 5 Seaweed. obsolete
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname. countable
- 2 A village in Rossendale borough, Lancashire, England (OS grid ref SD8725). countable, uncountable
- 3 A town and municipality in Bharatpur District, Rajasthan, India. countable, uncountable
- 4 An unincorporated village in Montcalm, Les Laurentides Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada. countable, uncountable
- 5 A number of places in the United States:; A minor city in Cherokee County, Kansas. countable, uncountable
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. countable, uncountable
- 7 A number of places in the United States:; A town in Choctaw County, Mississippi. countable, uncountable
- 8 A number of places in the United States:; A minor city in Williamson County, Texas. countable, uncountable
- 9 A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Kanawha County, West Virginia. countable, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"There was a weir across the river here, but it never caught many fish."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "weir"?
Common synonyms include: aboideau, air lock, arch dam, avenue, backstop, bamboo curtain.
How do you use "weir" in a sentence?
There was a weir across the river here, but it never caught many fish.
How do you pronounce "weir"?
Pronounced /wɪə̯/.
Etymology
From Middle English were, from Old English wer, from werian (“to dam up”), from Proto-West Germanic *warjan, from Proto-Germanic *warjaną, from Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“to cover”); Cognate with Old Norse ver (“station for fishing”), Sanskrit वृणोति (vṛṇóti). Related to warranty.