Ba"sin (?), n. [OF. bacin, F. bassin, LL. bacchinus, fr. bacca a water vessel, fr. L. bacca berry, in allusion to the round shape; or perh. fr. Celtic. Cf. Bac.]

1.

A hollow vessel or dish, to hold water for washing, and for various other uses.

2.

The quantity contained in a basin.

3.

A hollow vessel, of various forms and materials, used in the arts or manufactures, as that used by glass grinders for forming concave glasses, by hatters for molding a hat into shape, etc.

4.

A hollow place containing water, as a pond, a dock for ships, a little bay.

5. Physical Geog. (a)

A circular or oval valley, or depression of the surface of the ground, the lowest part of which is generally occupied by a lake, or traversed by a river.

(b)

The entire tract of country drained by a river, or sloping towards a sea or lake.

6. Geol.

An isolated or circumscribed formation, particularly where the strata dip inward, on all sides, toward a center; -- especially applied to the coal formations, called coal basins or coal fields.

 

© Webster 1913.

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