Spanish Conversation · Level 185
15 words
Spanish word
embalse
Pronunciation
IPA/emˈbalse/
Meaning
- masculine nounreservoir
Example
El embalse se llenó tras las fuertes lluvias.
The reservoir filled after the heavy rains.
More examples
El domingo fuimos a pescar al embalse cercano.
On Sunday we went fishing at the nearby reservoir.
Core concept
Artificial lake held behind a dam.
Common phrases
ir al embalse
head to the reservoir
pescar en el embalse
go fishing at the reservoir
Similar words
presa: Blocks a river's flow with a constructed embankment or dam.
pantano: Forms a shallow, wide flooded basin or marshy reservoir behind a barrier.
represa: Retains water using a weir or small engineered holding structure.
Definition in Spanish
Depósito artificial de agua que resulta de represar un cauce mediante una presa, usado para regular el suministro, el riego y el control de avenidas.
Word origin
From Spanish en- 'in' plus balsa 'pond', via the verb embalsar 'to impound', the term denotes water collected and kept back by a dam.
Usage tips
- Embalse names the stored water body rather than the dam (presa), and speakers often report its level with estar plus a percentage, for example el embalse está al 60%.
Other meanings
- impoundmentnoun