English

Alternative forms

• kanat, qanāt

Noun

qanat ‎(plural qanats)

1. An underground conduit, between vertical shafts, that leads water from the interior of a hill to villages in the valley
   • 1981: Richard Edward Chapman, Geology and Water: An Introduction to Fluid Mechanics for Geologists, page 112.

     Shafts are dug to the required level along the planned route of the qanat, every 300 m or so, and the construction of the [...]

   • 1988: Keith Stanley McLachlan, The Neglected Garden: The Politics and Ecology of Agriculture in Iran

     Elsewhere over large areas of the plateau and the foothill regions, the qanat irrigation cultures were weakened considerably. Water supplies diminished [...]

Synonyms

• foggara
• karez

References

• For a schematic of a qanat, refer to Geology and Water: An Introduction to Fluid Mechanics for Geologists, by Richard Edward Chapman, 1981, page 112.