Category:Basin

Ba"sin, n. Etym: [OF. bacin, F. bassin, LL. bacchinus, fr. bacca a water vessel, fr. L. bacca berry, in allusion to the round shape; or perh. fr. Celtic. Cf. Bac.]

1. A hollow vessel or dish, to hold water for washing, and for various other uses.

2. The quantity contained in a basin.

3. A hollow vessel, of various forms and materials, used in the arts or manufactures, as that used by glass grinders for forming concave glasses, by hatters for molding a hat into shape, etc.

4. A hollow place containing water, as a pond, a dock for ships, a little bay.

5. (Physical Geog.) (a) A circular or oval valley, or depression of the surface of the ground, the lowest part of which is generally occupied by a lake, or traversed by a river. (b) The entire tract of country drained by a river, or sloping towards a sea or lake.

6. (Geol.)

Defn: An isolated or circumscribed formation, particularly where the strata dip inward, on all sides, toward a center; -- especially applied to the coal formations, called coal basins or coal fields.

---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Basin - Or Bason (1.) A trough or laver (Heb. aggan' ) for washing (Exodus 24:6); rendered also "goblet" (Song of Songs 7:2) and "cups" (Isaiah 22:24). (2.) A covered dish or urn (Heb. kefor ) among the vessels of the temple (1 Chronicles 28:17; Ezra 1:10; Ezra 8:27). (3.) A vase (Heb. mizrak ) from which to sprinkle anything. A metallic vessel; sometimes rendered "bowl" (Amos 6:6; Zechariah 9:15). The vessels of the tabernacle were of brass (Exodus 27:3), while those of the temple were of gold (2 Chronicles 4:8). (4.) A utensil (Heb. saph ) for holding the blood of the victims (Exodus 12:22); also a basin for domestic purposes (2 Samuel 17:28). The various vessels spoken of by the names "basin, bowl, charger, cup, and dish," cannot now be accurately distinguished. The basin in which our Lord washed the disciples' feet (John 13:5) must have been larger and deeper than the hand-basin.