*basin*

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 ]