weir

noun

ˈwer  ˈwir 

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

Examples of weir in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The flood bypass in Yolo and Solano counties diverts floodwaters from the Sacramento River away from the capital city and neighboring communities through a series of weirs. —Camila Pedrosa, Sacramento Bee, 6 Feb. 2025

The map shows existing water barriers in the Valencia area, including dams and weirs, not structures that have been removed, Carlos Garcia De Leaniz, the AMBER project principal investigator and aquatic biosciences professor at Swansea University, told USA TODAY. —Kate S. Petersen, USA TODAY, 12 Nov. 2024

Many of the state’s wildlife officials got their start working on a weir. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 21 Sep. 2024

The city controls several weirs where water is diverted. —Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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.

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for weir

• beer
• bier
• cheer
• clear
• dear
• deer
• drear
• ear
• fear
• fier
• gear
• hear

Kids Definition

weir

noun

ˈwa(ə)r  ˈwe(ə)r 

ˈwi(ə)r

1

: a fence set in a stream to catch fish

2

: a dam in a stream to raise the water level or change the direction and course of its flow

Biographical Definition

Weir

biographical name

ˈwir 

Robert Walter 1803–1889 American painter