It was considered dÃ©classÃ© to refer to one's own townhouses, estates or villas (or those of friends) as mansions and modern etiquette books still advise that the terms house, big house or great house be used instead.
Waste weir. A waste weir on a navigable canal is a slatted gate on each canal level or pound, to remove excess water and to drain the canal for repairs or for the winter shutdown.
A weir is an impervious barrier constructed across a river to raise the water level on the upstream side. The water is raised up to the required height and the water then flows over the weir. In a weir the water overflows the weir, but in a dam the water overflows through a special place called a spillway. Weirs have traditionally been used to create mill ponds. They are also used to prevent flooding, measure discharge, and help render a river navigable. The crest of an overflow spillway on a large dam is often called a weir. Weirs can be built of wood, concrete or moraine material (rocks, gravel, boulders).