Make Your Point > Archived Issues > SLUICE

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pronounce SLUICE: Say it "SLOOSE." To hear it, click here. connect this word to others: Today's word sluice is one of those wonderful ones that sound appropriately wet, smooth, and liquidy. Much like slip, slide, slosh, sl___ ("to quench or satisfy") and sl__str___ ("something that seems to flow helplessly behind some powerful thing or person"). Can you recall those last two? (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) definition: In Latin, excludere means "to shut out" or "to close off." This excludere eventually gave us the word "exclude," as well as the word we're checking out right now: "sluice." A sluice, literally speaking, is a floodgate: a gated structure that controls the flow of water, blocking it or letting through. It might look like a water slide: (Thanks for the picture, Wiktionary!) Figuratively speaking, a sluice is a stream of something that seems to rush forward, as if released from a gate. And, when things sluice, they flow out in a rush, as if released from a gate. And, to sluice something--especially to sluice something from somewhere and into somewhere else--is to let it flow, as if you're controlling where it goes. grammatical bits: Part of speech: Sometimes a noun: "this sluice of chemical waste," "this sluice of lies and rumors." Often a verb: "the chemical waste sluiced into a river," "they sluiced the chemical waste into a river." Other forms we use figuratively: We've got "sluices," "sluiced," "sluicing," and the poetic adjective "sluicy." And, we can open the "sluice-gates" of something: "She kept a straight face until she got home, then let loose the sluice-gates of laughter." how to use it: Even as it conjures up images of engineering--gates, channels, plugs, and levers--the word "sluice" still sounds poetic and dynamic. Use it as a fun alternative to words like "pour," "gush," "stream," and "channel." Talk about all kinds of liquids that sluice. And if something is abstract but can flow or pool like a liquid, and if its flow can be controlled by people, it can sluice, too: so we also talk about facts, lies, money, and emotions that sluice. Finally, we talk about things sluicing from somewhere, into something, across or down something, between things, etc. examples: "Corruption scarred these [Olympic] Games, as contractors and politicians sluiced hundreds of millions of dollars into their coffers. "    — Michael Powell, New York Times, 23 August 2016 "Listening. ... Random asides. Quips. Momentary inspirations uttered and quickly forgotten. They all sluice into the walking, breathing database that is Stephen Miller, the White House wordsmith and behind-the-scenes power broker whose job is to harness the thoughts and ideas of the least tamable of presidents."    — Manuel Roig-Franzia, Washington Post, 27 January 2018 has this page helped you understand "sluice"? Awesome, I'm glad it helped! Thanks for letting me know! If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. study it: Explain the meaning of "sluice" without saying "gush" or "channel." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "(Describe some materials that go to waste.) The waste sluices into _____." Example: "Goodwill can't sell all the donated clothes it receives. The waste sluices into textile recycling companies--and landfills." If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.) before you review, play: Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first. Rhyming Puzzles! I give you a description of something, and you name it in a rhyming phrase. For example, if I say, "This is an ideal environment for a large tree-dwelling lizard--one in which this creature is perfectly happy and peaceful," then you say, "That's iguana nirvana." The answers will get longer and sillier as the month goes on. If you'd like to see the clue, click or mouse-over the link. I'll share each answer the following day. Enjoy! From the previous issue: As you've toured France, England, and Germany by bus, your vacation has blurred into one continual cycle of sightseeing; you feel as though you're ending each day in the exact same place where you started--both literally and metaphorically. Your vacation has become a ______ ____ ___ _________. (Four words. The first word has two syllables. The second and third words have one syllable each. And the fourth word has four syllables. Clue: use this word.) Answer: Europe tour bus ouroboros. Try this one today: Your views about the meaning of life have grown complex over the years, but you're determined to compress them into a short, pithy summary to share with your grandchildren. You've struggled for months to write this little summary, but all of your attempts have fallen short. Suddenly, a light bulb goes off above your head! You've got it! You know exactly how you'll phrase everything! You've just experienced an _______ ________. (Two words, four syllables each. Clue: use this word. And, use a second Make Your Point word.) review this word: 1. A near opposite of SLUICE is A. STIPPLE. B. STAGNATE. C. STAND STRONG. 2. Translating Homer's Iliad, Pope wrote,     "While Jove descends in sluicy sheets of _____,    And all the labours of mankind are _____." A. sun .. done B. rain .. vain C. gold ... sold 1. B 2. B a final word: I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.