It was considered dÃ©classÃ© to refer to one's own townhouses, estates or villas (or those of friends) as mansions and modern etiquette books still advise that the terms house, big house or great house be used instead.
Waste weir. A waste weir on a navigable canal is a slatted gate on each canal level or pound, to remove excess water and to drain the canal for repairs or for the winter shutdown.
uk â /dÃ¦m/ us â /dÃ¦m/. âº 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: The Aswan High Dam is on the River Nile in Egypt. Compare.