gravity dam

noun

An impoundment dam that is wider at the base than at the top, and which uses the massive weight of the dam's mass to withstand the force of water being stored behind the dam in its reservoir.

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Meanings

noungravity dam (plural gravity dams)

plural gravity dams

  1. An impoundment dam that is wider at the base than at the top, and which uses the massive weight of the dam's mass to withstand the force of water being stored behind the dam in its reservoir.

Origin

From gravity + dam. From using the weight of the dam to withstand the force of water being impounded.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

gravity dam. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gravity%20dam

MLA

“gravity dam.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gravity%20dam. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gravity dam,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gravity%20dam.

Source: gravity dam on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.