catflap.org Online Dictionary Query

  Basin \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.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. A hollow vessel or dish, to hold water for washing, and
        for various other uses.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. The quantity contained in a basin.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. A hollow place containing water, as a pond, a dock for
        ships, a little bay. --Pope
        [1913 Webster]
  
     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.
            [1913 Webster]
  
     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.
        [1913 Webster]

  Basin \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.

  coal fields /kˈəʊl fˈiːldz/
  Kohlebecken , Kohlefelder 
     Synonym: coal basins
  
   see: coal basin, coal field