Forbay

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A pool or reservoir of water kept just ahead of the intake that feeds a turbine, pump, or water-supply channel
2. The basin at the front of a water intake where water collects before passing into a hydroelectric turbine or pumping station
3. A holding area of water positioned in front of an intake, used to steady the flow reaching a turbine or pump

Etymology: "Forbay" is a variant spelling of "forebay," a term from hydraulic engineering for a pool of water held just ahead of an intake, such as the basin that feeds a turbine or the reservoir at the head of a canal. The word is a plain compound: "fore," meaning in front, joined to "bay" in its sense of a recess or inlet where water collects. That "bay" comes from Old French "baie," an opening or gap, which traces back to a verb meaning to gape. So the second half of the word is about a space that opens up, and a forebay is the open pool at the front of a water system.

Synonyms: forebay, reservoir