# sluice

> English word · Noun · IPA /sluːs/ · frequency rank #45,666

## Definitions
1. An artificial passage for water, fitted with a valve or gate, for example in a canal lock or a mill stream, for stopping or regulating the flow.
2. A water gate or floodgate.
3. Hence, an opening or channel through which anything flows; a source of supply.
4. The stream flowing through a floodgate.
5. A long box or trough through which water flows, used for washing auriferous earth.
6. An instance of wh-stranding ellipsis, or sluicing.

## Etymology
From Middle English sluse, alteration of scluse, from Anglo-Norman escluse (“sluice, floodgate”), from Late Latin exclusa (“extrusion, gate”), from Latin exclūsus, form of exclūdō (“I shut out, I exclude”) (English exclude). Cognate to Dutch sluis.

## Easily confused with
- **suite** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sluice-vs-suite)
- **spice** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sluice-vs-spice)
- **source** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sluice-vs-source)
- **squire** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sluice-vs-squire)
- **splice** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sluice-vs-splice)
- **sauce** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sauce-vs-sluice)
- **slide** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/slide-vs-sluice)
- **slice** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/slice-vs-sluice)
- **slick** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/slick-vs-sluice)
- **slime** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/slime-vs-sluice)
- **sliced** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sliced-vs-sluice)
- **sludge** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sludge-vs-sluice)

## Common misspellings (8)
`lsuice`, `sliuce`, `slluice`, `slucie`, `sluicce`, `sluiec`, `ssluice`, `sulice`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/sluice