Presa

Presa
 

This is a discussion thread for the Daily Spanish Word for June 26, 2009

presa (feminine noun (la)) — dam, reservoir. Look up presa in the dictionary

Puedes ir a la presa; está muy bonito y allí te dan permiso de pescar.
You can go to the dam; it's really nice and you can go fishing.

what is the difference between dam and reservoir ?

In Spanish we also have " presa" Y "pantáno "

dam/reservoir
 

a dam is the structure built to create a reservoir.

hermit

A dam is built to hold back the water in a reservoir. But, according to the dictionary, the word dam also refers to the reservoir. I've heard both words used without reserve.

Ok. Thank you.

Presa also means prey. (In hunting)

You can also refer to it as a piece, like Sírveme otra presa de pollo = Serve me another piece of chicken.

I have always (and still) thought that represa was a dam and reservior
was estanque.
I thought presa was a female convict.

'Represa' is not used, at least in Spain, although you can find this word in the RAE . 'Presa' is used as an enormous wall to retain and control water. Pantano is the place where water is retained. A 'pantano" can't be broken, a 'presa' can be with horrible consequences.

Presa also means a female convict.

An 'estanque' is very small, for gardens and yards.

That's interesting. Pantano over here means swamp, and represa is definitely dam.

I think you use 'dam' for both 'dique' and 'presa'. The difference between them is that a 'dique' is shorter than 15 m. high and 'presa' is higher. Another word not very common is 'azud' used in rivers, as a small 'dique' in a river.

En inglés la palabra dique es dike, que tambien es una palabra despectiva para lesbiana pero todo depende en como se usa.

Los castores no hacen diques sino dams en inglés.

The word dam carries the assumption that it was purposefully built by someone or something. The word reservior can imply it was built, but can also imply a natural process that created a large amount of water resulted from a naturally interrupted flow of water.

Presa also means "piece"

Pásame una presa de pollo.

Hay personas que se lavan por "presas" :rolleyes:

So where does embalse come into this?

Embalse es el "depósito" de agua. Es el "recipiente" formado por la represa y el valle u hondonada que ésta cierra.

It is different

Presa is for accumulating water ( dam )
Pantano is the "lake" formed by a presa

Dique is different . You put a ship into it and then you drain all of the water out , for repair or for a water level shift.

I agree , presa as " female convict"

"Presa ibérica" is also a piece of meat , that comes from the "armpit" of an iberico pig ( delicious by the way )