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cuenca

basin

noun KWEN-kah Less Common

Origin: From Latin concha (shell, hollow), via Vulgar Latin.

Also means

eye socket

Usage Note

Cuenca has two primary meanings learners need to distinguish: a geographical river basin (la cuenca del Amazonas) and the eye socket in anatomy (cuenca del ojo). It is also the name of cities in Spain and Ecuador. In everyday speech the geographic sense dominates. Feminine noun; plural cuencas.

Examples

"La cuenca del río es muy extensa."

Natural Translation

The river basin is very extensive.

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