flume
/fluːm
/noun
1An artificial channel conveying water, typically used for transporting logs or timber.The flume recirculates both water and sediment in order to provide a continuous supply of heterogeneous sand particles under steady flow conditions during the course of each experiment....
- Often the animals were placed in water flumes and required to swim continuously against a current generated by a pump.
- According to Pearl, Pennoyer constructed a flume that carried stream water to the site for washing out and screening crystals.
1.1A winding tubular water slide or chute at a swimming pool or amusement park.Tom couldn't get enough of the mini flume and waterslide....
- If you enjoy a day at the swimming pool, splashing down the flumes, think of canyoning as the 100% natural equivalent.
- You walk where you can, scramble over rocks, wade and swim through pools and in places you slide down natural flumes.
Origin
Middle English (denoting a river or stream): from Old French flum, from Latin flumen 'river', from fluere 'to flow'. The sense 'artificial channel' dates from the mid 18th century; 'water chute for amusement' is a late 20th-century usage.