A dam is a structure that impounds water or restricts its flow.

3 days ago · The meaning of DAM is a barrier preventing the flow of water or of loose solid materials (such as soil or snow); especially, civil engineering : a barrier built across a watercourse for …

Jun 12, 2026 · dam, structure built across a stream, a river, or an estuary to retain water. Dams are built to provide water for human consumption, for irrigating arid and semiarid lands, or for use in industrial …

The following is a partial list of dams and reservoirs in the United States. There are an estimated 84,000 dams in the United States, impounding 600,000 mi (970,000 km) of river or about 17% of rivers in the …

Nov 22, 2025 · What is a dam? A dam is a strong structure built across a river or stream to store and control the flow of water. It helps in creating a large reservoir or artificial lake behind it, which is used …

DAM definition: a barrier to obstruct the flow of water, especially one of earth, masonry, etc., built across a stream or river. See examples of dam used in a sentence.

By storing and managing water flow, dams have helped improve agriculture, urban water supply, and power generation, making them critical for economic growth and disaster prevention. Dams serve …

dam noun [C] (WALL) a wall built across a river that stops the river's flow and collects the water, especially to make a reservoir (= an artificial lake) that provides water for an area:

A barrier built to block the flow of water is called a dam. If you walk along a stream, you can see where beavers have built a dam out of mud and logs.

A dam consisting of a watertight part supported at intervals on the downstream side by a series of buttresses. A buttress dam can take many forms, such as a flat slab or a massive head buttress.