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qanat
noun
qa·nat
kÉ™-Ë?nät
ka-
plural qanats
: an underground aqueduct used (as in the Middle East) to convey water from a source (such as an aquifer) through the force of gravity especially for the purpose of irrigation
In Iran, qanats are still being constructed, and the thought came to wed the ancient qanat technology with that of modern drilling methods.—
Mahesh C. Chaturvedi
I first saw a qanat system in Turfan, a small town deep in the Gobi desert, thousands of miles from the nearest ocean but cradled in a depression below sea level.—
Martin Harwit
Examples of qanat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In Persia, many homes utilized a type of underground aqueduct called a qanat, in combination with a badgir (an Iranian wind-catcher), to keep their homes from overheating.
—
Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 July 2024
Her large-scale works reflect the desert of central Iran, and women there who conserve water, selling traditional crafts to maintain ancient, underground aqueducts called qanats.
—
Cate McQuaid, BostonGlobe.com, 3 May 2024
In fact, the qanat is still in use today.
—
Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 14 Dec. 2021
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
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Word History
Etymology
borrowed from Persian & Arabic; Persian qanÄ?t, borrowed from Arabic qanÄ?t-, qanÄ?h "tube, duct, canal"
First Known Use
1855, in the meaning defined above
Articles Related to qanat
Dictionary Entries Near qanat
Cite this Entry
“Qanat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/qanat. Accessed 12 Nov. 2024.
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