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embalse

reservoir

noun em-BAHL-seh Rare

Usage Note

Embalse refers specifically to an artificial reservoir formed by a dam (presa), not a natural lake (lago). The verb embalsar means 'to dam (water)'. In Spain, water levels in embalses are regularly reported in the news as a measure of drought. Do not confuse with balsa ('raft' or 'pool/pond').

Examples

"El embalse está casi vacío este verano."

Natural Translation

The reservoir is almost empty this summer.

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