‖ sudd
(sʌd)
Also sadd.
[Arab. sudd, n. of action to sudd to obstruct.]
An impenetrable mass of floating vegetable matter which obstructs navigation on the White Nile.
| 1874 Baker Ismailïa II. xiii. 488 To remove the sudd or obstruction to the navigation of the great White Nile. 1881 Proc. R. Geog. Soc. (N.S.) III. 301 A survey of the Nile, from the Sobat upwards, to the obstructive sudd in the Bahr el Gebel. 1898 Nat. Rev. Aug. 796 The gunboat's business after Fashoda will be to cut through the sudd and reach Beden as soon as possible. |
b. transf. A temporary dam constructed across a river.
| c 1900 Sir B. Baker in Daily Chron. 10 Dec. 9/2 The method of working was to erect temporary dams or ‘sudds’, formed of various materials. 1903 Sci. Amer. 28 Feb. 152/2 To inclose the area, upon which it was intended to work during the season, by temporary dams or ‘sadds’ in November. |
c. attrib. and Comb.
| 1900 Westm. Gaz. 10 July 2/1 The ‘sudd’ regions of the White Nile. 1900 Daily News 14 July 4/5 Major Peake's sudd-cutting party. 1911 Chamb. Jrnl. 28 Jan. 142/1 A factory is to be established in the sudd-country for the production of briquetted water-weed on an extensive scale. |
Hence ˈsudded ppl. a., obstructed by sudd.
| 1900 Westm. Gaz. 10 July 2/2 In 1898 Lord Kitchener found the Gebel River sudded. |