Webster's English Dictionary

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sluice

1. sluice \'slu:s\ n [alter. of ME scluse, fr. MF escluse, fr. LL exclusa, 
   fr. L,]fem. of exclusus, pp. of excludere to exclude 1a: an artificial 
   passage for water (as in a millstream) fitted with a valv e or gate for 
   stopping or regulating flow 1b: a body of water pent up behind a floodgate  
   2: a dock gate : FLOODGATE  3a: a stream flowing through a floodgate  3b: a 
   channel to drain or carry off surplus water  4: a long inclined trough usu. 
   on the ground (as for floating logs); spe cif : such a contrivance paved 
   usu. with riffles to hold quicksilver for catching gold
2. sluice vt 1: to draw off by or through a sluice  2a: to wash with or in 
   water running through or from a sluice  2b: DRENCH, FLUSH  3: to transport 
   (as logs) in a sluice  : to pour as if from a sluice