Meaning & use
weir
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountabletechnical
A low wall or barrier built across a river to control water flow or raise its level.
Grammar: Countable: a weir, the weir, weirs.
Patterns
- build a weir
- a weir across something
The old weir across the river helps keep the water level steady.
Engineers built a weir to divert water into the canal.
Fish can pass the weir through a special channel.
nouncountableold-fashioned
A fence set in a river to catch fish.
Grammar: Countable; an older use, still found in historical texts.
Patterns
- fish weir
- set a weir
In the past, people used a weir to trap fish in the stream.
The remains of a wooden fish weir were found near the bank.
Word forms
| plural | weirs |
|---|
Common combinations
- fish weir
- A fish weir was built across the shallow river.
- weir across the river
- The weir across the river creates a small waterfall.
- weir gate
- They opened the weir gate to let more water through.
Synonyms and how they differ
Commonly confused: weir or wire? weir or wear?
weir vs wire
Wire is a thin metal thread; weir is a river barrier. They sound similar but are different words.
weir vs wear
Wear means to have on clothes or to damage by use; weir is a dam.
Practice
The town built a ___ across the river to keep the water deep enough for boats.
Choose one answer.
A weir is a low dam that raises water level. Wire is a metal thread, wear is a verb, and ware means goods.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “weir”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.