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anicut

(India, mostly, South India) A dam built in a stream for maintaining and regulating irrigation.

ˈænɪkətSilenthistorical182 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
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#1·Apr 27, 2026Global

(India, mostly, South India) A dam built in a stream for maintaining and regulating irrigation.

Origin: , from . Also compare with the same construction. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents

"anicut" means a dam built in a stream for maintaining and regulating irrigation. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.

For ESL learners

"anicut" is informal English meaning a dam built in a stream for maintaining and regulating irrigation. It is part of Indian English. A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "a dam built in a stream for maintaining and regulating irrigation" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "anicut" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing. If you are a B2 or C1 learner, it is useful to recognise this word when you hear or read it, but think carefully about whether the situation really calls for it before using it yourself.

Cluster: online_activity
Heard in the wild
  • “Kallanai (literally “stone dam”, also known as the Grand Anicut) is an ancient dam built by Karikala of Chola dynasty in 150 CE.”

  • “2. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Anicut_Canal_System#cite_ref-2 "Jump up")**["Rehabilitation of Grand Anicut canal hangs in balance"](https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/rehabilitation-of-grand-anicut-canal-hangs-in-balance/article5458989.ece). _The Hindu_.”

  • “Please help [improve this article](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Anicut&action=edit) by [adding citations to reliable sources](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Referencing_for_beginners "Help:Referencing for beginners").”

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For specific readers

"anicut" means a dam built in a stream for maintaining and regulating irrigation. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.

Why is this section here?

Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.

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