a barrier that is built across a river in order to stop the water from flowing, used especially to make a reservoir (= a lake for storing water) or to produce electricity 水坝；拦河坝 the Narmada dam in India 印度的纳尔马达大坝 The dam burst. 堤坝决了口。 The dam burst and the valley was flooded. 水坝决口，山谷被淹了。
Extra ExamplesTopics Buildingsc1, The environmentc1, Geographyc1The dam has been breached and there is a danger of flooding. 水坝已经决口了，有发洪水的危险。 The dam holds back the water. 大坝把水挡住。 a large hydroelectric dam on the Colorado River 横跨科罗拉多河的大型水电坝
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- hydroelectric
- build
- construct
- breach
- …
- burst
- break
- hold something back
- …
- dam across
- dam on
- (South African English)
an artificial lake where rain or spring water is collected and stored 大坝： 人工湖，收集或储存雨水或泉水The dam was full of water. 大坝充满了水。
- (specialist)
the mother of some animals, especially horses 母兽；（尤指）母马，骒马 - (also dental dam)
a small rubber sheet used by dentists to keep a tooth separate from the other teeth 橡皮障（牙医用的牙齿阻隔膜） - (also dental dam)
a small rubber sheet used to protect the mouth during sex （性交时用的）口腔保护膜；口交保险膜
Word Originnoun sense 1 Middle English: from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch; related to Dutch dam and German Damm, also to Old English fordemman ‘close up’. noun sense 2 late Middle English (denoting a human mother): alteration of dame.