aqueduct
noun
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Based partly on the Latin ducere, meaning "lead" or "conduct," the word aqueduct named an ancient civil-engineering marvel. Ancient Rome's aqueduct system, an extraordinary feat of engineering, brought water to the city from as far as 57 miles (92 kilometers) away. Only a portion of the Roman aqueducts utilized the familiar stone arch; most were underground conduits made of stone or terra-cotta pipe. Modern aqueduct systems now often use reinforced concrete for large water mains, and ductile iron, a stronger and more elastic type of cast iron, for smaller underground pipes.
Examples of aqueduct in a Sentence
Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
Firefighters held the fire’s progress at a local aqueduct.
—Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 23 May 2025
So there were 11 aqueducts that were built in ancient times.
—Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 May 2025
But his soldiers attacked an agitated crowd that opposed Pilate’s use of Temple money to build an aqueduct.
—Nathanael Andrade, The Conversation, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for aqueduct
Cite this Entry
“Aqueduct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aqueduct. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
aqueduct
noun
from Latin aquaeductus "aqueduct," from aquae, form of aqua "water," and ductus "act of conducting or leading" — related to duct
Medical Definition
aqueduct
noun
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