Plural of basin; bowl-shaped vessels for holding water, or natural or artificial depressions in land that collect water.
From Old French bacin, from Vulgar Latin *baccinum, possibly from Gaulish. The word entered English in the 13th century, originally referring to metal vessels, later extended to geographical features.
The word 'basin' beautifully illustrates how human artifacts and natural features share the same vocabulary - both river basins and washbasins serve the fundamental function of collecting and containing water. This linguistic overlap reflects humanity's tendency to understand nature through familiar objects.
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